A Deep Spiral

 A Deep Spiral

I’ve been an overthinker for all the time I can remember. Overthinking can start from the smallest of things, perhaps you start to think about how you said hi to someone but they didn’t reply. This can end up spiraling into thinking if you did something wrong, did you come off as awkward, or if the other person is upset with you. Before you realize it, your mind has built a narrative based on one incoherent interaction. The word overthinking has been used very commonly lately as if it's immature or insensitive- something needing to be fixed. However, from the lens of psychology and cognitive science, it's not the person’s fault or a flaw in the ability to think but it's a flaw in regulation. 

Psychologists describe this process as rumination, a pattern of repetitive thinking that focuses on uncertainty and perceived mistakes instead of solutions. What makes this really hard to stop is that you don’t realize when you end up going into this black hole of thinking as your thoughts start branching off. Rumination activated the same cognitive systems used for problem solving and planning, mostly involving the brain’s prefrontal cortex which controls memory, thoughts, emotions and social behavior. The brain believes that it is helping you overcome hard situations even when the thinking no longer leads to a solution. When overthinking occurs, research shows that ambiguity triggers discomfort in the brain, farcing it to “fill in the blanks” with sometimes false information and negative thoughts. In these moments, emotional responses are triggered by processes in the amygdala (part of the brain in charge of processing emotions, fear, pleasure and the flight or flight mode). The amygdala can reinforce the thought loop, making the spiral feel necessary and even urgent rather than hypothetical. Because of this, your brain starts to think that over processing information is actually a coping method as it takes you away from your core problem. 

Theories of cognitive science states that the brain is fundamentally a prediction machine. According to predictive processing theories, the mind constantly generates expectations about the world and then updates them based on information that's coming in. When feedback, like a response or acknowledgement, doesn't arrive when expected, the brain goes through a prediction error. This gap between expectation and reality creates discomfort, which the mind attempts to resolve through further analysis leading to rumination (overthinking). The brain essentially treats the unanswered “hi” as a problem that must be solved, even when no additional information is available. Another important factor is intolerance of uncertainty, a trait linked to anxiety and overthinking. Research shows that individuals who struggle with uncertainty are more likely to engage in repetitive thought as a brain to regain a sense of control. Ironically, this strategy backfires, the more the brain searches for certainty, the more hypothetical scenarios it generates. Over time, this process can become habitual. Neural pathways that are repeatedly activated become more efficient meaning that the brain gets faster at overthinking loops.

So when your “hi” is ignored, don’t think too much into it. Let it go. Maybe that person didn’t hear you or they were busy doing something else. Maybe they were worried about something bigger. Try not to take it too personally, no one is deliberately trying to hurt you. But also, don’t think you're alone stuck in the hole of overthinking. A lot of the time I do the same, letting small things like maybe a bad quiz grade get to me which spirals into me thinking about my career hint: in the long run that grade doesn’t matter! One way I’ve started to deal with this is to think about what actually matters and try not to think too much, make myself busy and keep my mind occupied with scrolling, studying or doing something else I like. 

Coping with overthinking isn’t about forcing thoughts to disappear, but about changing how we respond to them. Research shows that repetitive thinking becomes harmful when it lacks direction, shifting from problem-solving to rumination. One effective strategy is metacognition, becoming aware of the thought as a mental process rather than a fact. Labeling a thought as rumination or uncertainty-driven creates psychological distance and reduces its emotional intensity. Studies also suggest that learning to tolerate uncertainty, rather than constantly seeking certainty, interrupts overthinking loops, especially in social situations where complete information is rarely available. Redirecting attention toward goal-oriented or sensory-based tasks can further disengage the brain’s self-referential networks, while externalizing thoughts through writing reduces cognitive load and prevents mental repetition. Together, these approaches don’t eliminate deep thinking, but help regulate it, allowing reflection to remain a strength rather than becoming a source of distress.

~ Aarya Godse

12/31/2025