Say Goodbye to Overthinking in Just 3 Simple Steps
How to stop overthinking and live now
October 22, 2025
Author: Christy Maxey, Founder of The Maxx Method™
Introduction
Ah yes, the dreaded overthinking dilemma. They call it “monkey mind” in Buddhism because it’s like monkeys swinging from branch to branch, only it’s your worried-filled thoughts swinging from branch to branch.
We’ve all been there.
Tossing and turning at night thinking of everything under the sun and unable to stop it – swinging from one thought to another – with no end in sight.
Hoping that it will stop so you can get some sleep.
Feeling all kinds of discomfort with each spin of the never-ending cycle.
It’s a spinning loop that keeps us stuck, miserable, anxious and sometimes even sleep-deprived.
Overthinking leads to more disconnection from ourselves, our bodies and our emotions.
Our Mind Is Sometimes Not What It Seems
We’ve learned to give our brains way too much credit. Afterall, we can figure out how to fix things, learn foreign languages and earn college degrees. We think our mind is there to solve problems, right?
Except when it comes to our psychology - our mental and emotional well-being. Sometimes our brain is actually a hindrance. When it comes to our mental and emotional health, our mind can keep us stuck, spinning our wheels in misery and swinging from thought to thought in anxiety, sleeplessness and misery.
The Key To Escape Overthinking
Sometimes the answers are not in our gray matter but actually the solutions may lie in our emotions, which by the way, show up in our bodies - below the brain.
emotion: a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
Emotions are natural. However, as a society our emotions have gotten a bad wrap. For generations emotions have not been given the respect they deserve.
We learn to neglect them, judge them, resist them, self-medicate them, avoid them, deny them, project them, sweep them under the carpet, repress them, suppress them, make fun of them, mock them and who knows what else.
Yet, emotions are a part of who we are. Period.
As a result of being mislead, we have learned to under function in so many ways:
- low levels of self-esteem
- inability to manage our emotional landscape
- insecurity and dysfunction in our relationships
- high rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, trauma and divorce...just to name a few.
Societal emotional neglect and abuse have not only affected us as individuals, but it has affected the psychological health of our families, our communities and has been passed down from generation to generation.
3 Steps To Stop Overthinking
Step 1: Drop Out of Your Brain and Into Your Body
I was lucky enough to be a part of an intensive Gestalt Therapy training program when I first graduated with my master’s degree, over 22 years ago. I say lucky because it’s been one of the most valuable experiences in my own “monkey mind,’ all things psychological and in working with my clients.
Before the training began I would participate in their ‘drop-in’ Thursday night Gestalt Group. What an amazing experience and much of what learned I’ve adapted into my own work with clients.
Usually two people would be selected to do “a piece of work” for that evening. A piece of work involved being guided by the Gestalt Therapist on some issue that you want to address. Usually something that needed to be healed at the root. Gestalt was ahead of their time because this was over 20 years ago!
Clients were exploring things such as childhood trauma, self-judgment, loss and grief and feelings of depression and anxiety to name a few.
One of the common phrases I remember hearing when someone was doing a ‘piece of work,’ was “Drop out of your head and into your body.”
Gestalt taught you to instead of talking about the issue, analyzing the issue or thinking about the issue, to allow yourself to experience the issue.
In your body.
Say what??? The first time I heard this phrase “drop into your body” I was fascinated. The second time I heard it, I knew I was home.
Finally, I found a place that taught the very missing piece to the puzzle that I knew was missing in my little microcosm of the world and in the larger microcosm of our society.
When you find yourself overthinking - thinking of everything under the kitchen sink - DROP DOWN INTO YOUR BODY…
Step 2: Say Hello to Your Body, Sensations and Emotions
We are often aware that we are unhappy. We acknowledge we have anxiety or are sad, anxious or angry. However, rather than accept and allow, we fight and resist: “I hate this,” “this is awful,” “this will never end,” “I can’t stand it anymore.” All of this keeps us stuck and spinning our wheels.
If you’ve been following me for any time now you might already know that “mindfulness” is awareness without judgment. This means being aware of ‘what is’ with acceptance, rather than resistance.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
- Move your attention out of your head and into your body. Notice what is going on with your body.
- What sensations do you become aware of? Pressure? Heaviness? An ache? Jitteriness?
- Where in your body do you notice these sensations? Your chest? Shoulders? Head? Heart? Legs? Stomach?
Rather than judge what emotions or sensations you may be experiencing, try allowing them.
Simply say, “I feel my anxiety and that’s my experience,” “I notice tension in my jaw and that’s okay.”
These kinds of statements naturally foster acceptance which allows us to more easily move through the feeling.
We are often aware that we are unhappy. Or that we have anxiety or we are sad, anxious or angry. However, rather than accept and allow, we fight and resist: “I hate this,” “this is awful,” “this will never end,” “I can’t stand it anymore.” Which keeps us stuck and spinning our wheels. Notice these are all judgmental and resistant thoughts - again, our thinking can keep us stuck.
Step 3: Use Your Breath to Comfort and Soothe
The breath is one of the most healing and powerful tools I know of. It’s free. It’s always available. You only need you. No apps. No therapist. No white noise machine. No negative side effects.
Once you have become aware of what’s going on in your body, now begin to focus on your breath.
- Breathe in deep through your nose. Breathe out through your mouth.
- Imagine your breath going into those emotions and sensations.
- Breathe in comfort into that heavy sensation in your chest. Breathe out sadness.
- Repeat 6-8 breaths.
- Breathe in compassion to that anxiety in the pit of your stomach. Breathe out resistance.
- Repeat 6-8 breaths.
- Breathe in peace to those racing thoughts. Breathe out judgment.
- Repeat 6-8 breaths.
When you notice your focus going back to your thoughts, simply notice and say “my mind is racing and that’s my experience.” Moving your attention back to your breath and repeating “breathing in, breathing out, breathing in, breathing out.”
If you’re struggling with overthinking that is leading to insomnia, anxiety or depression - try connecting with you body, and before you know it you just may lull yourself to sleep in just 3 simple steps: 1) Drop into your body 2) Acknowledge sensations and emotions with acceptance 3) Inhale inner peace, exhale judgment.
Try it and let me know what you think. As always, I love to hear from you!
Here’s to less suffering and more connecting.