Notes On…Overthinking vs. Rumination

Not all spiraling thoughts are the same.
Some race toward the future, trying to control what hasn’t happened yet.
Others loop through the past, trying to undo what can’t be changed.
Both overthinking and rumination feel like problem-solving.
Neither leads to peace.

Overthinking

Overthinking is the mind’s attempt to control the unknown.
It’s future-focused, wide in scope, and often driven by anxiety or perfectionism:

“What if I fail?”
“Should I text them back?”
“What’s the right choice?”

It leads to analysis paralysis, second-guessing, and mental gridlock.

Therapy helps overthinkers pause long enough to ask:
What’s in my control? What’s good enough for now?

Rumination

Rumination turns inward like a knife.
It’s narrow, repetitive, and past-focused, often rooted in shame, regret, and self-blame.

“Why did I say that?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“I should’ve known better.”

Linked to depression and low self-worth, it mimics reflection but deepens the wound.

In therapy, we don’t interrupt rumination with logic.
We meet it with compassion.
We ask:
What are you trying to make right by staying in the pain?

The Healing Begins When We Name It

Both overthinking and rumination are survival strategies.
They’re your mind’s way of saying: I’m afraid. I don’t want this to happen again.

But naming them gives you a choice.
To slow down.
To breathe.
To stop punishing yourself for being human.

Sometimes the mind doesn’t need answers.
It just needs to be held.