The One Exercise That Killed My Overthinking (Do This for 7 Days)

Do you ever feel like your mind won’t stop talking?

That your thoughts keep running in circles, repeating the same worries over and over again?

That was me.

Every decision I made — big or small — turned into a mental storm. I’d overanalyze every possibility, every outcome, and even things that weren’t real problems yet. It was exhausting.

But then, I discovered one simple exercise that helped me break the cycle.

It didn’t cost anything.

It didn’t require any special skills.

All it took was five minutes a day.

And after just 7 days, my mind felt lighter, calmer, and more focused than ever before.

Let me share exactly what I did — and how you can do it too.

Day 1: The Power of a Thought Dump

I started with something called a “thought dump.”

Every morning, I grabbed a notebook and a pen. For five minutes, I wrote down everything on my mind — no filter, no editing.

It didn’t matter if it made sense or not. I just emptied my brain onto paper.

“I have too much to do today.”

“I forgot to respond to that message.”

“What if I mess up my project?”

“I’m tired of overthinking everything.”

The result?

I felt lighter. Like I had taken all that mental noise and put it somewhere safe.

Day 2: Writing Before Reacting

On the second day, something interesting happened.

I got an email that usually would have triggered my overthinking:

“What if they’re upset with me? Should I apologize? Did I mess up?”

But instead of spiraling, I opened my notebook and wrote:

“I got an email. I don’t know what it means yet. Maybe it’s not even a big deal.”

This one act helped me pause. It gave me space between the thought and my reaction.

That space is where the magic happens.

Day 3: Naming the Thought

By Day 3, I added something new: I started naming the type of thought I was having.

For example:

“This is a fear-based thought.”

“This is a perfectionist voice.”

“This is self-doubt.”

Naming your thoughts helps you realize that you are not your thoughts. They’re just temporary visitors. You don’t have to believe everything they say.

Day 4: Rewriting the Story

Overthinkers often create worst-case scenarios in their heads.

On Day 4, I tried something powerful: I rewrote my stories.

Instead of:

“I’m going to fail at this project.”

I wrote:

“I might struggle, but I’m learning. I’ve succeeded before — I can do it again.”

Changing the story changes how you feel.

Day 5: Asking Better Questions

Most overthinking starts with bad questions like:

“What if it goes wrong?”

“Why am I like this?”

“What will people think?”

So on Day 5, I practiced asking better ones:

“What’s one thing I can control today?”

“What would I tell a friend in this situation?”

“What’s the best that could happen?”

Better questions lead to better answers — and less anxiety.

Day 6: Practicing the Pause

By Day 6, I didn’t feel as overwhelmed anymore. But I still had moments where old habits returned.

So I added the pause.

When I noticed overthinking creeping in, I would stop and say:

“Pause. Breathe. What’s really going on here?”

This tiny moment of awareness helped me interrupt the cycle before it got worse.

Day 7: Reflecting on the Progress

On the last day, I sat down with my notebook and read through the pages from the past week.

I noticed something.

My thoughts had become less negative.

I wasn’t jumping to the worst conclusions anymore.

And most importantly, I felt more in control of my mind.

Overthinking didn’t own me anymore.

The Simple Truth

Overthinking doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means your mind is trying to protect you — but it’s working overtime.

This 7-day exercise wasn’t magic.

But it was simple.

Consistent.

And real.

And it worked.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck in your head, try this:

Write your thoughts every day.

Be kind to yourself.

Challenge the stories you tell.

Ask better questions.

And don’t forget to pause.

You don’t need to fix everything at once.

You just need to start.

One page. One thought. One day at a time.