Overthinking is a Habit - Here’s How to Break It
Ever feel like your brain is a browser with 37 tabs open? Some tabs are frozen, others are playing annoying music, and you have no idea where it's coming from. Welcome to the club. It's called overthinking—and it's not deep thinking. It's noise.
Your brain wasn't built for loops—it was built for leaps. It evolved to solve problems, not create them. But modern life floods us with endless inputs, and our brains get stuck in a loop of replaying the past and predicting the future.
Let's peek under the hood:
Prefrontal Cortex ("The Planner"): Obsessed with certainty, always trying to predict what's next.
Amygdala ("The Alarm Bell"): Hates risk, loves drama, constantly ringing alarms.
Default Mode Network ("The Loop"): Replays past mistakes and future anxieties on repeat.
The result? Paralysis by analysis. You don't have a clarity problem; you have an action problem.
How to Escape the Overthinking Loop (Science-Backed & Komorebi Approved):
1. Cold Exposure: Your Brain's Emergency Reset Button
Ice baths aren't just for Wim Hof and Instagram influencers. Cold plunges shock your nervous system into presence—overthinking can't survive when your brain is busy surviving. One cold shower = instant mental reboot.
2. Move Your Body: Outsmart the Loop
Sitting fuels overthinking; movement crushes it. Your brain is a lazy predictor—it assumes if you're sitting still, you're happy in that loop. Trick it by changing rooms, stretching, walking, running—or better yet, surfing into flow state. Your body moves; your brain clears. Simple physics.
3. Breathwork: Ctrl + Alt + Delete for Your Mind
Breathe like an animal—slowly and deeply. Deep exhales signal safety to your nervous system. A calm body equals a calm mind. Overthinking can't survive in a relaxed nervous system.
4. Write It Down: The Thought Drainage System
Journaling isn't just therapy—it's mental decluttering. Once thoughts hit paper, your brain checks them off its list and moves on. No more spiraling; just clarity.
5. Set a "Worry Window": Constrain the Chaos
Here's a paradox: your mind won't shut up unless you give it permission first. Allocate five minutes daily to intentionally worry—go all-in! When time's up, move on. Your brain loves boundaries; give it some.
Think Less, Live More
Your mind is a tool—not the boss of you. Overthinking isn't a personality trait; it's just a well-worn neural pathway begging for an upgrade.
You can rewire your brain by consistently practicing these simple habits:
Cold Exposure
Movement
Breathwork
Journaling
Worry Window
Less noise, more clarity—less thinking, more living.
Ready to break free from mental loops? Stick around—I share neuroscience-backed tips regularly with my Komorebi Tribe.
Think less, live more—let's do this together!
Nina Klemencic | Komorebi Tribe
