The Mind on Overdrive: Why Overthinking Hurts—and How Journaling Helps You Let Go
The Science, Psychology, and Spiritual Wisdom Behind Thought Overload—and the Simple Practice That Helps.
We all do it. The mental loops. The mental what-ifs. The imaginary conversations we’ll never have. My brain morphs into that monkey mind almost every night, without fail. It irritates me. Ruins my ability to sleep. And it makes me want to eat.
I had to find a way to get calm. So, I did some research and turned to my journal.
Overthinking often disguises itself as “problem-solving,” “being prepared,” “being thorough,” or “being responsible.” But beneath the surface, it’s doing more harm than good.
In today’s fast-paced, comparison-fueled, overstimulated world, many women find themselves stuck in thought spirals that don’t serve their well-being. Whether it's stress and worry about our careers, family dynamics, body image, caregiving roles, the economy, or the sheer weight of decision fatigue, we’re often getting stuck in circular thinking and reacting more than reflecting.
The antidote? Awareness. Stillness. Spaciousness. And yes—journaling.
Let’s explore why overthinking is so dangerous to our mental, emotional, and physical health, how various teachings offer clarity and relief, and how journaling can offer us a deeply personal way to calm the mental storm.
🧠 What Is Overthinking, Really?
Overthinking isn’t just “thinking a lot.” It’s the inability to stop analyzing, second-guessing, and mentally replaying situations. It comes in two primary forms: rumination (dwelling on the past) and worry (obsessing over the future).
It’s a kind of mental congestion, and for many women, it feels almost involuntary. We don’t mean to overthink, but suddenly our mind is off to the races, and our body tightens in response.
⚠️ Why Overthinking Is Dangerous
Overthinking isn’t a harmless habit—it’s a form of cognitive and emotional self-harm that affects our entire system.
✦ Physically:
Increases cortisol, the stress hormone, which over time leads to inflammation, fatigue, and even weight gain (1)
Impacts sleep quality, leading to insomnia or restless nights (2)
Suppresses immune function—your body is in “threat mode” even when you’re safe (3)
✦ Mentally:
Disrupts problem-solving abilities by keeping your brain stuck in loop mode instead of decision-making mode (4)
Can trigger anxiety and depression, particularly in women (5)
Reduces working memory and executive function—the ability to plan, focus, and carry out tasks (6)
✦ Emotionally:
Magnifies self-doubt and perfectionism
Disconnects you from your intuition
Fuels guilt and regret over imagined or exaggerated outcomes
It's not just tiring. ☠️It’s toxic.
🧘♀️ What Buddhism Teaches Us About Overthinking
I like Buddhist philosophy when it comes to overthinking. Buddhism views overthinking as a form of “mental proliferation”—in Pali, papañca. It refers to the mind’s tendency to spin narratives, embellish stories, and create suffering where none inherently exists.
The Buddha taught:
“Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” ~Dhammapada 42
Enter mindfulness, or sati. As you likely already know, mindfulness is the practice of intentionally bringing your full attention to the present moment—without judgment, distraction, or reactivity. It’s the act of paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, with curiosity and compassion. Pulling ourselves into the present moment helps to immediately lighten our mental load by letting go of any attention to the past or future.
Craving, aversion, and delusion—the Three Poisons in Buddhism—often fuel overthinking. We crave certainty. We resist discomfort. And we mistake our thoughts for truth.
By observing the mind with curiosity and non-attachment, we create the space to shift from reactive thinking to reflective awareness.
The goal isn’t to stop thinking—it’s to stop clinging to every thought as if it were truth. Buddhist wisdom invites us to soften, witness, and return to what’s real.
🌿 How to Center Yourself: Return to the Present Moment
Overthinking takes us away—from now, from truth, from peace.
To center yourself:
Feel your breath as it moves in and out of your body
Notice your senses—what can you hear, see, or feel right now?
Place your attention on the task at hand, however small
Let go of fixing, and practice just being
One of the most beloved teachings of the Buddha reminds us:
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
It is here, and only here, that life truly unfolds.
Overthinking begins to fade when we allow ourselves to simply to be—to be with our breath, our body, our now.
When you catch yourself in a thinking spiral, you might say:
🕊️ “I’m not in the past. I’m not in the future. I’m here. It’s now. I’m safe. I’m breathing.”
Like journaling, in this action, there is no judgment. Only a soft invitation to return yourself to the center by being in the present moment.
✍️ How Journaling Helps You Stop Overthinking
Journaling is a mindful practice that slows the racing mind. It offers a safe space to externalize your thoughts, notice patterns, and make room for clarity.
Here’s how it works on three levels:
1. Cognitive Offloading
Writing your thoughts down gets them out of your head and onto the page. This is known in psychology as “cognitive offloading” (7). You reduce mental clutter simply by expressing it.
✏️ Try this:
“Right now, the thought I can’t let go of is…”
Then finish the sentence without censoring and without self-judgement. Let the loop unwind naturally.
2. Reframing and Reflection
Once on the page, you can see the thought, question it, and reframe it. This shifts your brain from the limbic system (fight/flight) into the prefrontal cortex (logic and reflection) (8).
✏️ Try this:
· Is this thought 100% true?
· Who would I be without this thought?
· What else could be true?
3. Compassionate Observation
Your journal becomes a mirror—not for judgment, but for witnessing. You become the observer of your mind, not its prisoner of it.
✏️ Try this:
“What am I feeling beneath this overthinking? What might I need?”
💡 Journaling Techniques to Stop Overthinking
Not sure where to start? Here are a few go-to techniques designed to calm an overactive mind:
🌀 The Thought Dump
When to use: You're overwhelmed or spiraling
How it helps: Releases pressure, clears space
How-to:
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write everything that’s in your head. Don’t stop. Don’t edit. Just dump it out. Tear it up if you want. The goal is release, not perfection.
📊 The Thought Tracker
When to use: You keep returning to the same thought
How it helps: Reveals recurring fears and patterns
How-to:
Create two columns: “Thought Loop” and “What I Know is True.” Write down the obsessive thought in the first column. In the second, write a grounded truth or a calming counterpoint.
💬 The Dialogue
When to use: You’re caught in self-criticism or indecision
How it helps: Builds self-compassion and insight
How-to:
Have a conversation on the page between your worried self and your wiser self. Let both voices speak. Often, your clarity is already inside you—she just needs space to speak.
🧘♀️ The Breath Prompt
When to use: You want to reconnect to the present moment
How it helps: Anchors you in your body, not your thoughts
Prompt:
“With each breath, I’m letting go of…”
“In this moment, I can feel…”
Write slowly. Feel into it. Let your journal guide you back to now.
🌸 Why This Matters—Especially for Women
Women are more prone to overthinking than men. Cultural conditioning that teaches us to over-function and self-police. Journaling offers a quiet rebellion against that.
➡️ It's not about emptying the mind but rather tending to it.
➡️ It’s not about being positive but rather being present.
➡️ It’s not about solving everything—it’s about making space.
You don’t need to fix yourself. You just need to listen. And journaling helps you do that, one compassionate page at a time.
🪷 Final Thoughts
Overthinking may feel like it’s helping you be responsible, prepared, or safe. But in truth, it’s often keeping you from living.
Journaling doesn’t magically stop your thoughts—but it gives them somewhere to go, helps you unwind them, helps you get back to centre. Your journal is your safe place. Your honesty space. Your healing space.
So, if your mind is spinning, pick up a pen—and ink your way to calm and clarity.
🖊️ Prompts to Try Today
What’s the thought I can’t stop thinking about?
What’s beneath this thought—fear, guilt, need?
What’s something I know to be true, even if my mind forgets it?
What would I do if I trusted myself more?
Right now, what can I feel, hear, see, or touch that’s real?
🌿 Ready to quiet the mental noise and reconnect with your inner calm—one page at a time?
Join my growing community of women who are using journaling as a path to healing, clarity, and self-love.
✨ Visit www.holisticjournalingink.com to explore free resources, upcoming workshops, and guided journaling programs designed just for you.
Let your journal become your sanctuary.
We’ll be waiting with open pages.
P.S. Considering registering for my online program, Morningtides, where Beneficial Journaling comes to life.
📚 References
McEwen, B. S. (2006). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179.
Harvey, A. G. (2000). Pre-sleep cognitive activity: A comparison of sleep-onset insomniacs and good sleepers. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 39(3), 275–286.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., et al. (2002). Chronic stress and age-related increases in the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6. PNAS, 100(15), 9090–9095.
Lyubomirsky, S., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1995). Effects of rumination on problem solving and motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1041–1060.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 504–511.
Smallwood, J., & Schooler, J. W. (2006). The restless mind. Psychological Bulletin, 132(6), 946–958.
Risko, E. F., & Dunn, T. L. (2015). Storing information in the world: Cognitive offloading in a short-term memory task. Cognitive Science, 39(4), 859–870.
Siegel, D. J. (2007). The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being. W. W. Norton.