If your mind replays conversations long after they've ended, spends hours imagining everything that could go wrong, or analyses a decision so thoroughly that you end up more confused than when you started, this episode is for you.

Overthinking often feels productive. It feels as though if you just think about it for long enough, you will finally reach certainty or find the perfect answer. But the loop doesn't deliver certainty. It delivers more questions, more anxiety, and less sleep.

In this episode, Wendy explores what overthinking actually is, why the brain does it, and how nature, nurture and our environment all play a role. She covers the difference between worry and rumination, why modern life feeds both, and how the brain's ancient threat detection system ends up treating an unanswered text as seriously as a physical danger.

Then come 20 practical, evidence-based strategies drawn from CBT, ACT, compassion-focused therapy, DBT, mindfulness and internal family systems. You don't need to use all 20. The invitation is to listen for the 2 or 3 that speak to you, and practise those consistently, because psychological strategies work like physical exercise. The benefit comes from repetition, not from reaching for them once in a crisis.

The episode ends with a short guided exercise you can try right now.

To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:

👉 https://wendycastelino.com/

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