Have you ever gone to bed at night and your mind just won’t shut off? You start thinking about the day and what you said or maybe should have said? You try to go to sleep, but it just won’t stop.
That is usually caused by overthinking and anxiety, and this happens to a lot of people. Today, we’ll talk about what Scripture says about your thoughts and simple, practical ways to break that cycle.
This week’s episode is as much for me as it is for anyone else.
So let’s dive in…
So let’s start out by talking about what overthinking actually is.
Overthinking is generally defined as the act of dwelling on the same thoughts repeatedly, analyzing situations or decisions excessively, and creating problems or stress by focusing too much on what could go wrong, what others might think, or what might happen in the future.
Psychologists describe it as two main patterns:
And overthinking is when you leave a gathering replaying every word, wondering if you came across as awkward, or if the reason you felt left out is because you said something wrong and they don’t like you.
It’s when you lie awake at night, running through every possible “what if” about tomorrow.
It’s when you feel stuck, not because you don’t care, but because you care too much and don’t want to make the wrong choice.
The issue with overthinking is that we can sometimes tell ourselves that we are just being responsible. We are trying to be prepared, careful, thoughtful, not being rash in making a quick decision. All those things are good but the problem starts when it spins out of control and goes on too long.
Overthinking has been an issue for me for quite some time. When I started working on the podcast, I wanted it to be perfect. Trust me, I see the irony of wanting a podcast called “Peace over Perfection” to be perfect. I just wanted it to be right, to be something that would make an impact on lives. I stressed over the content, the name, the graphics, all of it. It was hard to create a line between it being as close to perfect as I can get it, and to keep moving. I kept telling myself, no one can listen to it if it’s not online.
I worried about it being a failure—what if no one listens—what if I am not cut out for this—what if people think the content is stupid? Will I be able to keep coming up with content? All the things. I finally just had to make myself pray and ask God to help me. He is my business partner in this podcast and I meet with Him about all the decisions. I pray that He will help me decide on content that will be helpful and for the people who need to hear it to find it. Then I just put in the work. The rest is in His hands.
If we aren’t careful and let overthinking run wild, it becomes our default. We need to make our default peace.
So how do we do that?
First, let’s talk about why overthinking happens.
There are a few ways we get stuck in thought loops:
Not the kind that crawl around but what Dr. Daniel Amen calls Automatic Negative Thoughts. They show up in all kinds of ways:
When we name it, we claim it.
We need to turn those around.
Instead say:
Flip the script you are telling yourself.
A lot of overthinking comes down to this: we’re afraid of making the wrong choice, so we try to make the perfect one.
But the truth is—mistakes will happen. And that’s not always bad.
Mistakes are often how we learn and grow.
The danger comes when fear and perfectionism paralyze us. We get so caught up in “what if I fail?” that we never even start.
But failure isn’t final—quitting is.
The enemy would love nothing more than to keep us stuck in analysis paralysis. But God invites us to trust Him, move forward, and learn as we go.
We want certainty in an uncertain world. We think we can handle something better than anyone else. We feel we need to control everything—from finances to parenting decisions—because we’re afraid everything will fall apart if we don’t.
We need to learn that God is the One in control.
We need to learn to ask Him for guidance and then listen for what He tells us to do.
Maybe you failed before, or someone hurt you. You put your trust in the wrong person. Now you’re afraid it will happen again, so you replay scenarios over and over in your mind.
The problem?
Hindsight is 20/20.
Most of the time we did the best we could with what we knew then.
Looking back now, you see the red flags you missed. You see decisions you would’ve made differently. But you didn’t have that information then.
The truth is, we can’t always stop negative thoughts from popping into our heads — but we can choose what to do with them.
A lot of these thoughts are normal…
The problem is when we get stuck and let them dominate our lives.
The good news is that Scripture has a lot to say about our thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10:5 —
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
When your mind says, “I’m not a good enough mom,” you can take that thought captive and answer with truth:
God chose you for your child.
He equips you daily.
You don’t have to get stuck in overthinking.
Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts… As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher…”
God sees the bigger picture.
Your mind is limited — His wisdom is infinite.
Luke 12:25–26 —
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”
Worry doesn’t fix anything.
It drains you.
When those thoughts come — bills, the future, the endless what-ifs — pause and remember:
God has already promised to provide for your needs.
It may not look like you want, but He is working.
Whatever the final outcome, God’s hand will be on it.
2 Timothy 1:7 —
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Worry spirals aren’t from God.
Peace is.
So how do we actually stop spinning our wheels and find peace?
Let’s break it down into actionable steps.
Awareness is the first step.
Do you feel a sense of doom?
Are the same thoughts looping?
When you notice it, move to the next step.
What’s behind it?
Realize what’s actually going on.
I call this a brain dump.
Write down every thought.
Then ask:
Then pair each thought with Scripture:
Once you see what’s happening, ask God to help.
Write a prayer next to each thought.
Ask Him:
Scripture to pray with this step:
Overthinking thrives when you feel stuck.
Do one small thing:
Any step breaks the cycle.
Fear and gratitude cannot coexist.
Gratitude trains your brain to look for blessings.
This isn’t toxic positivity.
It’s shifting your default.
Even in hard situations, we can still find joy.
And you shared a beautiful recommendation:
“Laughing Through the Ugly Cry” by Dawn Barton — a powerful story of joy in hard things.
Overthinking is exhausting — but remember, this is a process.
You won’t flip a switch and never overthink again.
And that’s okay.
God meets you right in the middle of your mental chaos and offers peace that doesn’t depend on your ability to control your thoughts.
A little progress every day adds up.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
The next time your mind starts spiraling, pause and pray:
“Lord, I don’t understand how this will work out, but I’m choosing to trust You with all my heart. Show me the next step.”
You don’t need the full plan.
You just need the One who sees the whole picture.
Because that’s where we find peace.