Across the board, we tend to over-think and under-act. This can take many forms, including regretting the past, obsessing about a problem rather than trying to solve it, and procrastinating. Worry is one of the most common forms of overthinking. Those who worry are trying to control the universe through a form of hypervigilance and magical thinking—if they keep worrying about something, then maybe God or some other benevolent force will look on them kindly and prevent something bad from happening.

Overthinkers come in two forms. There are those who don’t have a filter and just talk at you in a stream of consciousness. You may have heard the term “verbal diarrhea.” An unpleasant image, but accurate! The other overthinkers tend to do all their thinking in their head. These are the ruminators, going over and over something and often torturing themselves in the process.

Sometimes overthinking can take a particular form. For example, if you fixate on an injury someone has inflicted on you, working and reworking it in your mind, then you can get stuck in what we call “the maze,” trapped by your own thoughts and unable to connect with others.  

The consequence of overthinking is that, without realizing it, you become a spectator—rather than participant—in your own life. Your life is a precious gift, but it can only be appreciated by living it.

The following tools, articles, videos, and programs can help you stop the incessant chatter and get out of your head and back into your life.