How to Stop Overthinking: 3 Steps to Take Back Control of Your Mind 

Written By Cassidyy Atkins

Have you ever been physically exhausted, climbed into bed ready to sleep, and suddenly your mind starts going?

One thought comes.

Then another.

Then another.

And before you know it, you're 20 thoughts deep, your body is completely activated, and you're worrying about a future that hasn't even happened.

I've been there.

And here's something I want you to understand: just because a thought enters your mind doesn't mean it's true.

Thoughts of fear, anxiety, stress, failure, rejection, and uncertainty are going to come. But when we grab onto those thoughts and begin rehearsing them over and over again, they start affecting our emotions. Eventually, those emotions can leave us overwhelmed, discouraged, anxious, or completely paralyzed.

So how do we stop it?

I want to give you three simple things you can start doing immediately:

Catch it. Challenge it. Change it.

First, catch the thought.

You can't change something you haven't identified.

Ask yourself, What am I actually thinking right now?

Sometimes we've repeated a thought for so long that we don't even recognize it anymore. It just feels like truth. Become aware of what's running through your mind and ask God to help you recognize the thoughts that are taking you down a path you don't want to go.

Then, challenge it.

When your mind says, What if I fail?

Ask yourself, What if I succeed?

What if the relationship doesn't fall apart?

What if setting the boundary actually makes the relationship healthier?

What if the opportunity does work?

What if the thing you've been afraid of never happens?

Feelings are real, but feelings aren't necessarily truth. Stop automatically agreeing with every thought that produces an emotion.

And then comes the part where life begins to change:

Change it.

Replace the thought with truth.

The Word tells us to think about what is true, lovely, and of good report. It reminds us that we're blessed, called, chosen, favored, and equipped. When fear tells you one thing, answer it with what God says.

If fear wakes you up at 2:00 AM, remind yourself: God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

If your mind tells you there's no way forward, remind yourself that your steps are ordered.

If you feel like you're incapable, remind yourself that you have the mind of Christ.

Don't just think it.

Say it out loud.

Because your mind believes what you continually tell it.

And then I want you to do one more thing:

Move.

I've learned this in my own life. I can sit and think about something until I've created 50 different scenarios, and none of that thinking actually moves my life forward.

But when I take one action step—even a tiny one—something changes.

Clarity begins to come.

Recently, I had a phone call I had avoided making for two months. It involved an important business relationship, and I had played out all kinds of possibilities in my head. Finally, I made the call.

And guess what happened?

I got more clarity.

Then I took another step.

And the path became clearer again.

You don't have to have everything figured out before you move.

You simply have to refuse to let a thought that isn't true determine a future that hasn't happened yet.

Catch it.

Challenge it.

Change it.

And move.

Movement creates momentum.

You can win the battle of your mind. And when you begin winning the battle in your mind, you begin changing the way you live your life.

Remember—you truly are more.

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Episode Minute By Minute:

  • 00:00 – Welcome & Join the You Are More Bible Study

  • 00:48 – How to Stop Overthinking

  • 01:20 – Just Because You Think It Doesn't Mean It's True

  • 02:10 – The 3 Cs: Catch It, Challenge It, Change It

  • 02:34 – Step 1: Catch the Thought

  • 03:15 – Step 2: Challenge the Thought

  • 04:18 – You Can't Change What You Don't Identify

  • 05:00 – Step 3: Change It With Truth

  • 05:42 – What to Do When Fear Hits at 2 AM

  • 06:00 – Changing the Thought Is Where Life Changes

  • 07:00 – When Overthinking Pretends to Be Productive

  • 07:42 – Don't Let a False Thought Determine Your Future

  • 08:14 – Take the Action Step

  • 09:10 – Your Mind Believes What You Say

  • 09:32 – The Phone Call I'd Avoided for Two Months

  • 10:00 – Movement Creates Momentum

  • 10:25 – Win the Battle of Your Mind

Cassidyy Atkins
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