Break Free from Overthinking: The Power of Metacognition

I’m deep into a long historical novel right now—my favorite genre.

Last night, I reached the bottom of a page and realized I had no idea what I’d just read.

My eyes had scanned the words, but my mind had wandered off, wondering if the dog needed to go out.

That moment—realizing what my mind was doing—is metacognition.

We all do it.

• I’m great at crossword puzzles.

• I can’t remember names.

• I have a terrible sense of direction.

Metacognition is thinking about our thoughts—what they mean, what they do, and how we react to them.

5 beliefs that fueled my overthinking

When I was stuck in overthinking, I thought about my thoughts a. lot. And I believed five things:

1. I had no control over my thoughts.

2. No one else’s mind tormented them like mine did.

3. No one could help me.

4. If I understood why my mind worked this way, I could stop it.

5. Paying close attention to my thoughts was the key to understanding them.

Much later, I learned about metacognition and realized something crucial:

What I believed about my mind was the very thingkeeping me stuck in overthinking.

And you don’t have to wait as long as I did to learn why.

How metacognition affects peace of mind

Research by clinical psychologist Adrian Wells and metacognitive therapist Pia Callesen shows how metacognition plays a role in mental health—not just in diagnosable conditions like anxiety and depression but also in everyday overthinking.

They’re therapists—I’m not. I’m leaving out the clinical steps they teach. Instead, I want to introduce you to metacognition and how it may be shaping your overthinking.

Two levels of thoughts

Our minds operate on two levels:

The lower level (automatic thoughts)

These are involuntary thoughts and feelings—30,000-70,000 of them every day. They fade quickly if we don’t pay attention to them, like forgetting why you walked into a room.

Some thoughts, however, trigger emotions and demand our attention. (Thoughts can trigger positive feelings, but I’m talking about the ones that don’t. 😞)

The metacognitive level (how we respond to thoughts)

This is where we evaluate our thoughts and decide what to do with them.

And here’s the problem:

Our strategies for managing unwanted thoughts often backfire.

When we focus on overanalyzing, fixing, or avoiding them, we actually feed them.

And attention is the fuel that keeps overthinking alive.

The real problem isn't your thoughts

We don’t get stuck because of our thoughts themselves. We get stuck because of how we respond to them.

When we believe overthinking is:

• Uncontrollable

• Helpful for finding solutions

• A fundamental part of who we are

...we sink deeper into what’s known as cognitive attentional syndrome—a swamp of:

• Worrying (“What if…?”)

• Analyzing (“Why did they say that?”)

• Focusing on confirming evidence (“See? They never listen to me.”)

Sound familiar?

For years, I believed that if I just analyzed my thoughts enough, I’d figure out how to stop them.

So I analyzed harder.

It was miserable--and it never worked.

Because thinking about overthinking only leads to more overthinking.

5 beliefs that keep you stuck in overthinking

1. I don’t realize I’m overthinking.

2. My overthinking is uncontrollable.

3. I can’t stop unless I feel motivated/ready/sure it’ll work.

4. More thinking will solve my overthinking.

5. Overthinking is just how my brain works, and I can’t change it.

I wholeheartedly believed #1, #2, and #4.

5 beliefs that create peace of mind

1. Recognizing my trigger thoughts helps me intervene before overthinking takes over.

2. I have control over whether or not I engage in overthinking.

3. Thinking more won’t solve my overthinking.

4. I can take action regardless of how I feel in the moment.

5. My thoughts and feelings are normal and harmless—I’m not doomed to overthink forever.

I didn’t believe any of these until I experienced them.

The first time I confided in someone about my mind’s relentless cycles, she said, “I know! Here’s what I do.”

That moment opened the door to the possibility that #5 was true.

The first time I tried reciting memorized words to interrupt my overthinking, I realized #2 was true.

That realization changed everything.

For over 15 years, this simple practice has stopped my overthinking in its tracks.

How to change metacognitions

The first step?

Identify the thoughts you have about your mind that don’t serve you.

The fastest way to change them is to experience something that contradicts them.

For example, I was 100% skeptical that reciting memorized words could stop my overthinking. I only tried it because I knew the person who suggested it would ask if I did.

And I was stunned when… it worked.

A slower, but still powerful, way to shift metacognitions is to question them:

• What evidence do I have that this belief is true? What evidence suggests it’s false?

• Am I focusing only on evidence that supports my belief?

• Am I misinterpreting the evidence?

• Is this belief black and white, when reality is more complex?

• Did someone pass this belief down to me? Are they a reliable source?

• Is this belief a habit, or is it based on facts?

This Week:

1. Revisit the list of overthinking-fueling metacognitions. Which ones do you believe? Write them down.

2. Do the same for the peace-of-mind metacognitions.

3. Write down any other beliefs you have about your overthinking.

4. Pick one belief to challenge.

5. Seek out a contradictory experience or use the questions above to take a close look at it.

Overthinking isn’t inevitable. What we believe about our minds shapes our reality.

The question is whether our beliefs help us or hold us back.

Sources:

Callesen P. Live more, think less: overcoming depression and sadness. Icon Books, 2020.

Wells, A. Metacognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Guilford Press, 2009.