Maybe It’s Not Overthinking

Maybe it’s not overthinking. Maybe it’s just your nervous system asking you to slow down and listen.

I’ve been thinking about this lately because I’ve noticed that most people are so quick to judge their own minds. The second they start replaying a conversation, worrying about a decision, or projecting possible outcomes, they call it overthinking, and often feel down on themselves for doing so. But no one tells us that what we often call overthinking is really a signal from the body that the mind isn’t settled enough to hear.

That doesn’t mean all of your thoughts, fears, and anxious stories are true. It just means that something in you is asking for attention, grounding, or clarity. It’s a powerful form of self-awareness that is often obscured by the force of our minds.

Overthinking happens when the body goes into a kind of intellectual survival mode. It tries to create certainty in the face of mental overwhelm by seeking the perfect answer, plan, or response, with the hope that controlling or predicting everything accurately will finally let your nervous system relax.

But peace never comes from thinking harder. It comes from slowing down enough to hear what’s happening underneath your thinking. In other words, it’s about pausing and listening to what’s arising in your body instead of staying caught inside the noise of your mind.

Maybe what you’re feeling is a boundary that you haven’t honored or a truth you’ve been avoiding. Maybe you’re exhausted, and your thoughts are getting louder because your capacity is getting lower. Maybe, and most likely, your body noticed something your mind is still trying to rationalize. Maybe you don’t need to solve everything. Maybe you need water, rest, a walk, a quiet room, and a moment of stillness with yourself.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to listen more and more to what I feel, not just emotionally, but in my nervous system. And it’s been a transformative source of wisdom. So much so that many of the pieces in my upcoming book focus on that practice.

So, the next time your mind goes into overdrive, don’t panic. And definitely don’t shame yourself for being overwhelmed. Instead, pause and ask, “What is my nervous system trying to tell me?” Take a deep breath and gently ask what needs to be heard.

Then listen through the body. Notice your chest, stomach, jaw, breath, and shoulders. Feel where you are bracing. Notice what softens when you tell yourself the truth. Notice how, when you physically relax, you begin to see the connection between your felt sense of the world and your mental one.

This is how you begin to build trust with yourself and start making your mind work for you, instead of you working for it.

Sending love and slowness,
Cory

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If this newsletter resonated with you, my upcoming book, The Quiet Age: Creating a Calm Life in a Chaotic World, was written for this exact feeling. It’s a meditative companion for anyone trying to slow down, quiet their mind, reconnect with themselves, and stop giving their peace away to the noise of modern life.

The book is available for pre-order now, and every pre-order helps it reach more people who may need a little more calm in their lives.

Preorder Now