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Spot the loop · Lesson 3 of 10

Notice an Overthinking Loop Early and Name It

Learn to spot the early signs of an overthinking loop, name it, and keep a simple log so you can see your own patterns.

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THE WRITTEN LESSONFollow along at your pace

You can catch an overthinking loop early, in the moment before it gathers speed. This lesson shows you the first sign to look for, a simple way to name the loop, and a one-week log that helps you see your own patterns.

The jolt

Overthinking often arrives as a feeling before it arrives as words: a jolt in your stomach, or a replay of a message in your head. Treat that jolt as your cue. It is the earliest moment you can notice what is starting.

A body outline with an amber patch at the stomach labeled A jolt in your stomach. Beside it, a phone showing the message Can we talk? with a red replay arrow. A label says The jolt is your cue.(opens the full-size picture)
The jolt, or the replay, is your cue.

Name it

Then name it. You might say to yourself: this is my mind jumping to the worst case. A label does not argue with the thought. It reminds you that you have met this pattern before.

A thought bubble reading Lost job? with a dashed arrow to a yellow label reading My mind jumping to the worst case. Two notes below read A label doesn't argue and You've met this before.(opens the full-size picture)
A short label, attached to the thought.

Catch it, check it, change it

A common approach in talking therapy is catch it, check it, change it. Catch the unhelpful thought. Check the evidence for it. Then look for other ways to see the situation. You will practise the checking and changing in later lessons. For now, catching is the whole job.

Three numbered steps along a line: 1 Catch it, shown as a raised hand; 2 Check it, shown as a magnifying glass; 3 Change it, shown as two arrows pointing opposite ways. A note says More in later lessons.(opens the full-size picture)
Catch it, check it, change it. This lesson is about step one.

Keep a log

To get better at noticing, keep a simple log for a week. When a loop starts, jot down the time, where you were and what it was about. A pattern may show up within a week or two.

A small table with the columns Time, Where and About, with two example rows: 7:40 pm, On the sofa, A work email; and 11:15 pm, In bed, A money worry. Below it, a row of seven ticked days, M to S, and the label Patterns show up.(opens the full-size picture)
Three columns are enough: time, where, and what it was about.

Train the noticing

Noticing is a skill you can train. In meditation you practise the same move: notice that your mind has wandered, say thinking softly in your head, and come back. You do not need to meditate to use the idea. The same three moves work when a loop starts.

A seated person beside three steps: an eye labeled Notice, a speech bubble saying thinking labeled Say it softly, and a curved arrow labeled Come back.(opens the full-size picture)
Notice, say thinking softly, come back.

YOUR TURN

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Read the full lesson script

In this lesson, you'll learn to catch an overthinking loop early, in the moment before it gathers speed.

Overthinking often arrives as a feeling before it arrives as words: a jolt in your stomach, or a replay of a message in your head. Treat that jolt as your cue.

Then name it. You might say to yourself: this is my mind jumping to the worst case. A label doesn't argue with the thought. It reminds you that you've met this pattern before.

A common approach in talking therapy is catch it, check it, change it. Catch the unhelpful thought. Check the evidence for it. Then look for other ways to see the situation. You'll practice the checking and changing in later lessons.

To get better at noticing, keep a simple log for a week. When a loop starts, jot down the time, where you were, and what it was about. A pattern may show up within a week or two.

Noticing is a skill you can train. In meditation, you practice the same move: notice that your mind has wandered, say thinking softly in your head, and come back.

So remember: the jolt is your cue, name the loop, and keep a simple log. Before the next lesson, give your most common loop a name, and use it the next time it starts. Next, you'll learn to write it down.