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43 Relatable Overthinker Quotes To Stop Thinking Too Much

A list of bittersweet overthinker quotes that will speak your mind

Overthinking is not just a problem for highly sensitive minds. We all think too much every now and then. In those sleepless nights, overthinkers are either dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. 

“What would things be if I have acted differently?”
“Why does he suddenly stop calling? What have I done?”
“Should I stay in this job, or should follow my passion?”
……

If you are an overthinker, you may have a list of unsolved problems. They pop out when you least expect it. So I have rounded up a list of overthinker quotes you can relate to. I have some of them written down on a post-it as a reminder. And it helps to stop me from thinking too much. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Table of content

  • Relatable overthinker quotes
  • Quotes on how to deal with overthinking
  • How to deal with overthinking? A few doable strategies

Relatable overthinker quotes

Overplanning kills magic.

Sometimes the worst place you can be is in your own head. - Relatable overthinker quotes

Sometimes the worst place you can be is in your own head.

You can dwell in your thoughts, or you can stop the loop by taking action. Do something, do anything. A small act puts a pause on your mental spiral.

We drink the poison our minds pour for us and wonder why we feel sick.  - Atticus  - Relatable overthinker quotes

We drink the poison our minds pour for us and wonder why we feel sick.
– Atticus

Read also: Beautiful Atticus Poems For Each Astrology Sign

Shut up, mind. - relatable overthinker quotes
,

Shut up, mind.

Overthinking is just a painful reminder that you care entirely too much, even when you shouldn’t.

You can spend hours digging your answer from others or using that time for your passion. Do something that sparks joy, and let the joy cut off your mental spiral.

Read also: 23 Thought-provoking quotes to stop caring too much

Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe. - Mark Twain - Relatable overthinker quotes

Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.
– Mark Twain

Those who overthink overlove. - Relatable overthinker quotes

Those who overthink overlove.

I’ve got thoughts more tangled than my headphone. - Relatable overthinker quotes

I’ve got thoughts more tangled than my headphone.

Overthinking: Both a gift and a curse

If only thoughts had an off switch. - Relatable overthinker quotes

If only thoughts had an off switch.

You break your own heart by overthinking it.

Sometimes it’s all in your head.

Overthinking: the art of creating problems that weren't even there. - Relatable overthinker quotes

Overthinking: the art of creating problems that weren’t even there.

Be aware of what’s worth your energy.

Say no to those who don’t.

Overthinking ruins beautiful things before they even begin.

The mind replays what the heart can't delete. - Relatable overthinker quotes

The mind replays what the heart can’t delete.

Thoughts are not facts. - Relatable overthinker quotes

Thoughts are not facts.

Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.
– Erma Bombeck

You don’t truly love yourself if you blame yourself for everything you said or haven’t said. 

No matter what you do, there will be people loving it and people who don’t. If you love yourself enough, you’ll understand that none of these matters as long as you live your authentic self.

Read also: 43 inspiring quotes to love yourself unapologetically

Quotes on how to deal with overthinking

What others say and do is a projection of their own reality.  - Reminder quotes for overthinkers

What others say and do is a projection of their own reality.
– Don Miguel Ruiz

Instead of overanalyzing the words of others, focus on yourself. 

Life is too short to be spent at war with yourself. - Quotes to stop thinking too much

Life is too short to be spent at war with yourself.

If your mind can monkey all day, think about what could happen if you channel that energy to your goals.- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

If your mind can monkey all day, think about what could happen if you channel that energy to your goals.
– Emma Xu

Don’t let your mind bully your body.
– June Tomaso Wood

As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.⁣
– Steve Maraboli

What is yours, will be yours eventually. 

A unicorn doesn’t stand around and worry about what other unicorns think of it. It just sparkles. 

Focus on growing your shine.

If it's out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too. - Reminder quotes for overthinkers

If it’s out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too.
– Ivan Nuru

If it’s too much to carry in your head, try brain dumping. Write everything that is bothering you on paper and stop it from consuming your mental battery. I’ve created a template for brain-dumping; click here to download.

You are not going to worry yourself out of a problem. - Eckhart Tolle  - quotes to stop thinking too much

You are not going to worry yourself out of a problem.
– Eckhart Tolle

You deserve a break from your own thoughts.

Let it go. Put things behind. The world is not going to end just because you stop caring for a minute.

Maybe if you stop searching, the answer will come to you.

You deserve the same level of attention you so freely give others.
– Emma Xu

If it's meant to be, it will be eventually. If it isn't, stressing won't make it different.- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

If it’s meant to be, it will be eventually. If it isn’t, stressing won’t make it different.

How you talk to yourself matters.

Turn your "what ifs" into "why not".- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

Turn your “what ifs” into “why not”.

Say yes to possibilities. Embrace uncertainty and trust the process.

Your imaginary scenarios are blocking you from real happiness.

You don’t go through something in your mind a hundred times and call it a rehearsal. 
– Emma Xu

Sometimes you need to hit pause and press next. - Emma Xu- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

Sometimes you need to hit pause and press next.
– Emma Xu

Worrying means you suffer twice.

Not everything you tell yourself is true.

You may not win the war against your mind. But you can choose what to believe.

No feeling is final.- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.
– Rainer Maria Rilke

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.
– Thomas S. Monson

Not everything they say has a hidden message.- Emma Xu - Reminder quotes for overthinkers

Not everything they say has a hidden message.
– Emma Xu

If you can't beat fear, just do it scared. - Reminder quotes for overthinkers

If you can’t beat fear, just do it scared.
– Glennon Doyle Melton

Do it anyway.

You can't change someone who is committed to misunderstanding you.- Reminder quotes for overthinkers

You can’t change someone who is committed to misunderstanding you.

So you may invest your energy on your goals, on your growth, and on you.

How to deal with overthinking? A few doable strategies

Before you get anxious about overthinking, it’s worth noted that it’s not always a bad thing to think about something over and over again. Sometimes when faced with uncertainty, digging deep into the situation may help you develop new solutions.

But when thinking becomes excessive, it becomes unproductive and potentially harmful. Overthinking can be a symptom of depression and anxiety. To an extent, it can also become an addiction. If you find yourself frequently overthinking or worrying about what might happen, here are a few tips to deal with overthinking:

  • Write it down

One thing that helps reduce stress and clear your mind is to do a brain dump. To deal with overthinking, get a piece of paper and write down what’s bothering you.

For example, if you are worried about the interview tomorrow, write it down. And make a list of what exactly upsets you. Maybe you fear that your nerves might get the best of you. 

Or perhaps you are not so sure about how to answer certain questions. Be as specific as you can. And even better if you can come up with ways to tackle each of your worries.

Brain-dumping is dumping your thoughts on paper, so you don’t need to carry them in your mind. Want to give it a try? Here is a free brain-dump template you can download and print out.

  • Take action

As cliché as it sounds, action is an effective way to stop overthinking. Sometimes we overthink because we don’t think we can handle what might happen next. As practice makes perfect, better preparations will boost your confidence in getting things done.

Say that you have an important meeting with a client next week and you can’t stop thinking about what might go wrong. Instead of worrying and doing nothing, you can discuss it with your boss or coworker. And see if they have any suggestions. Or you can outline the key points of the meeting, email the clients in advance and see if they have anything else they want to know.

These small actions might not magically solve your problems. But they switch your mind from worrying to finding solutions and help to deal with overthinking.

  • 5-4-3-2-1
54321 Grounding Technique to stop overthinking and to live in present - overthinking quotes and coping strategies

We tend to overthink when we have something to worry about in the future or something we regret in the past. Learning to live in the present gets you out of rumination. The 5-4-3-2-1 coping method is a great way to do it.

And this is how it works: When you catch yourself overthinking, start counting five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. The practice will pause your monkey mind and shift your attention to the moment.

  • Learn from the past, not dwelling on it

Sometimes the past is what makes you overthink. “What if I didn’t make that mistake?” “What if I take the other job offer instead?” “How could I be so dumb not to see that he was lying?”

If these are the questions that keep you awake at night, you have not moved on from your past. So to let go of the guilt, anger, or confusion, and to deal with overthinking, ask yourself one simple question: “what can I learn from it?”

There are lessons to learn behind everything. A toxic relationship teaches you how to identify narcissists or fake people. The failure to launch new bushiness tells you how to be more prepared next time. The past shapes how we act, but it doesn’t have to stop you from living your best life.

Which of these overthinker quotes relate to you?

Tell me about it in the comment and DM me on Instagram at @_ourmindfullife if you need an ear.