Overthinking: Why it happens and how to change it

Overthinking is a colloquial term for excessive or repetitive thinking that is difficult to stop. Such thinking does not necessarily lead to a better understanding of a situation, a clearer decision, or a more effective way to solve a problem. A person may spend hours analyzing a conversation that has already ended, questioning their own decisions, imagining possible negative consequences, or searching for an answer to a question or situation for which there may be no clear solution.

The thinking itself is not the problem. The ability to analyze experiences, consider consequences, and anticipate possible outcomes is an important part of human behavior. Through thinking, we learn from the past, prepare for the future, and make decisions. Difficulties arise when the thinking repeats itself without significant progress, when the same questions constantly demand new answers, or when the attempt to achieve certainty becomes a source of further stress. In such cases, a thought pattern can be described as overthinking (Nolen-Hoeksema et al., 2008; Watkins, 2008).

Psychological literature offers more precisely defined terms that help us understand different forms of this experience. One of these is rumination. The word “rumination” comes from the Latin verb ruminare, which means “to chew the cud.” In psychology, rumination usually refers to repeatedly thinking about negative experiences, feelings, or their possible meanings. Worry, on the other hand, more often relates to anticipated threats and possible negative consequences. This distinction is helpful, but not absolute: rumination can also include imagined future events, and worry can be closely linked to past experiences. Both can be understood as forms of repetitive negative thinking, even though their content, temporal focus, and function may differ (Ehring & Watkins, 2008; Moulds & McEvoy, 2025).

Overthinking is not a distinct psychiatric diagnosis. It can occur in everyday situations, especially when we are confronted with uncertainty, important decisions, or challenges in interpersonal relationships. It can also occur in conjunction with various psychological difficulties. Therefore, it is not enough to simply consider how often a person thinks or how long their analysis takes. What is crucial is the role that thinking plays in their life, how it affects their emotional state, and whether it helps them move closer to what they want to achieve.

For example, after a conversation, someone might wonder whether another person was hurt. Reflecting on the interaction can help to identify a mistake, understand the other person’s perspective, or decide to clarify something. However, if the person repeatedly returns to the same words, reconstructs every detail of the conversation, and constantly imagines new interpretations, the analysis can become exhausting. Instead of contributing to a decision, the repeated consideration of what happened can further distance the person from a sense of clarity. This is one of the characteristics of overthinking.

Therefore, overthinking cannot simply be understood as “thinking too much.” It is also important to consider what happens during the thought process, what the person is trying to achieve through it, and what consequences result from it. This leads us to the next question: Why do we sometimes continue to think, even when we realize that further analysis is no longer helpful?

One of the difficulties associated with overthinking is that further thinking often appears to be the most reasonable response to uncertainty. If we are unsure whether we have made the right decision, we may try to analyze it again. If we do not understand the reaction of another person, we may go over the conversation again, looking for a meaning that we may have missed. If we fear an undesirable outcome, we may try to anticipate everything that could go wrong.

Such thinking can serve an understandable purpose. It can help us prepare for challenging situations, understand our experiences, or avoid mistakes and their possible consequences. For example, a person preparing for an important conversation may consider various possible reactions from the other person. This can be useful as long as it helps them prepare more effectively and react more flexibly. The difficulty arises when they continue to weigh possible outcomes without new information or a clear goal, while their actual readiness for the conversation remains unchanged.

The reasons for continuing to think can vary. Sometimes, we try to prevent a mistake, prepare for a difficult situation, understand an emotional experience, or figure out how another person reacted to us. We may also believe that further analysis will help us find a better answer or avoid later regret. These processes can be useful under certain circumstances. The difficulty arises when the attempt to understand, prepare, or protect ourselves continues without producing new insights or a significant change in what we can do.

Sometimes, the purpose of continued thinking is less clear. We may return to the same question without being able to identify what another round of analysis is intended to achieve. Instead of assuming that all repetitive thinking serves the same function, it may be more helpful to examine what the person is trying to achieve in a particular situation and what is happening as they continue to think.

One reason we return to the same thoughts is the attempt to reduce uncertainty. If we don’t know how another person interpreted our behavior, we may try to reconstruct their reaction. If we are unsure whether we made the right decision, we may re-evaluate its pros and cons. Sometimes, we continue to analyze because we believe it will help us avoid later regret or discover an opportunity that we previously overlooked.

However, uncertainty cannot always be eliminated through further analysis. We cannot know for certain what another person is thinking unless they tell us. Similarly, we cannot predict all the circumstances that might influence a future event. If we expect thinking to provide an answer that is not possible with the available information, we may continue the analysis without reaching a definitive conclusion.

Under such circumstances, one interpretation can lead to another, with each new possibility requiring further consideration. A person may feel they are getting closer to an answer, while in reality, they are moving further away from making a decision or taking concrete action. Continuing the analysis may seem reasonable because there is always the possibility that something has been overlooked or that an explanation will eventually emerge that eliminates doubt.

The person does not necessarily consciously expect complete certainty. It may be enough that further thinking seems as if it could still help. In some situations, the analysis can also provide temporary relief. However, when a new doubt soon arises, the person returns to the same question. A pattern can develop in which the attempt to find certainty becomes the reason for further analysis. Research on metacognitive beliefs about rumination provides a framework for understanding why people may continue to think, even though the process is stressful (Cano-López et al., 2022).

It is therefore helpful to distinguish between reflection that helps us make a decision and overthinking, in which repetition can keep us stuck at the same point. Considering the possibility of a mistake and deciding how to react is one thing. Feeling the need to analyze a question until every doubt has disappeared is another.

This does not mean that every instance of repetitive thinking is an attempt to exert control, or that every case of overthinking can be explained in the same way. It is crucial to understand what the person expects to change by continuing to think. Are they looking for new information? Are they trying to make a specific decision? Or are they seeking a level of certainty that the situation may not be able to provide? These questions can help us identify when thinking is still useful and when it no longer leads us to clarity.