How to Stop Overthinking and Actually Start Moving Forward
Have you ever spent ages thinking about something; planning it, analysing it, going over and over it - and still not actually done anything? You feel busy. Your brain is working hard. But nothing is moving forward.
That's overthinking. And if you're anything like me, and many of my clients, it's a deeply familiar feeling.
Why Overthinking Feels Like Progress (But Isn't)
The big trap with overthinking is that it genuinely feels productive. Your brain is busy. You're working things out, making plans, trying to get it perfect. It feels like you're doing something.
But there's no forward movement. No actual progress.
I think of it like being on a treadmill. You're expending energy. You're engaged. But you're not going anywhere.
And here's what's actually happening underneath that busyness: your brain is trying to regulate how you feel. It's not focused on solving the problem or getting the thing done. It's focused on giving you a sense of certainty, control, and safety.
When you're thinking about the task; planning it, working out how to do it perfectly, you're not sitting with that uncomfortable feeling of I have this thing to do and I haven't done it yet. The thinking reduces that discomfort. It feels like doing something, even when nothing is actually happening.
Your Brain Has Learned That Thinking Is Safer Than Doing
This is the core of overthinking, and it's not ‘wrong’ as such, even though it is generally very unhelpful. It's something your brain has learned, it’s your brain doing it’s job of trying to keep you safe.
When you're thinking about a task, you're not at risk of making a mistake. You're not at risk of getting it wrong, being judged, or failing. The planning feels like setting yourself up for success, but it's actually keeping you stuck.
This is particularly relevant for ADHDers, anxious brains, and perfectionists. If you're someone who thinks a lot, loops back over things, starts but doesn't quite star - this pattern will likely be very familiar. Your brain has learned that thinking feels like progress. And it does feel like progress. It's just quietly keeping you stuck.
The Problem With Waiting for Motivation
One of the most common things I hear is: ‘I just haven’t got the motivation yet’, ‘I’m waiting ‘til I feel motivated’.
The problem with this is that motivation comes from doing, from taking action, not the other way around.
We often have this completely back to front. We wait to feel ready, inspired, or motivated before we start, but that feeling almost never arrives on cue. I'm not sure I've ever felt motivated to sit down and do my tax. Or clean the kitchen (unless of course I’m avoiding something else!!). Or make a difficult phone call.
Motivation isn't the thing that gets you started. Starting is the thing that creates motivation.
How to Step Off the Treadmill
The goal here isn't to clear your mind or stop thinking completely; that's not realistic and it's not the point. The goal is to move from thinking to action. And specifically, to move from thinking to tiny action.
This is where five minutes matters.
The Five Minute Method
Pick one thing you've been overthinking. It might be a report, a difficult conversation, a phone call, study, something as mundane as laundry or a messy kitchen.
Set a timer for five minutes - just five - and start the thing. Not to finish it. Just to start.
What you're doing is stepping out of the thinking loop and into doing. And at the end of five minutes, you have a choice:
You might feel ready to keep going
You might get clarity on a better approach
At worst, you've done five minutes of the thing - and you're five minutes further forward than you were before
That action, however small, builds confidence. And confidence comes from doing; not from thinking about doing.
One Small Action Leads to the Next
This is the thing that surprises people most. You don't need the full plan. You don't need to feel totally ready. You don't need to wait for motivation to arrive first.
You need a direction, then take one small step in that direction. Then another. That's how you get unstuck; not by thinking your way out, but by doing your way out, one tiny action at a time.
If this pattern of overthinking and feeling stuck is something you keep bumping into, it's exactly the kind of thing I work on with clients. I'm a registered counsellor based in Brisbane, and I also work online. Feel free to get in touch at louise@caracounselling.com.au