My mind won’t stop
Sometimes your mind keeps going over the same thing.
What happened. What might happen. What you should have done. What you need to figure out.
Not every thought needs an answer.
For the next minute
Catch one loop
Put the main thought into one short sentence.
“My mind keeps coming back to…”
One sentence is enough.
If a small useful action is obvious, write it down.
If it is not obvious, you do not need to work it out right now.
You can leave the sentence where it is.
If you have a few minutes
Give it somewhere to go later
If the same worry keeps returning, choose a short time later today when you can look at it properly.
Write down the thought.
Write down the time.
Then, if you can, return to what you were doing.
When the thought comes back, there is no need to argue with it or prove it wrong.
The note can hold it until then.
If it helps, decide beforehand: “If the worry comes back before then, I’ll notice it and return to what I was doing.”
If postponing the thought makes you more preoccupied with it, stop using this tool.
Or let the thought come along
A thought can be there while you do something else.
Notice that the thought is there.
Then choose one ordinary thing in front of you.
- Make a drink.
- Put something away.
- Take a shower.
- Finish one small task.
The thought can stay in the background while you do it.
The aim is not to force your mind to become quiet.
It is to give the thought a little less of your attention.
If you are still going over it later
Sort it once
Take a piece of paper or a note on your phone.
Write three short lines:
What do I actually know?
What am I predicting, replaying or trying to work out?
Is there one useful thing I can do next?
If there is an action, write it down.
If there is not, you can stop for now.
Close the note.
You can come back to it another time if you need to.
You can carry on with your day without reaching certainty first.
Need urgent help? Seek the closest medical help.
About this tool
In adults with diagnosed mental-health conditions, research on repetitive negative thinking supports directly targeting worry and rumination within cognitive behavioural approaches; a 2025 meta-analysis of 55 randomized trials found a moderate overall reduction, with results varying across studies. Worry postponement on its own has mixed evidence: a meta-analysis found small short-term benefits, while a separate randomized trial found no between-group benefit. It is optional here and should be dropped if it increases preoccupation. The exact short exercises on this page have not been clinically validated.
Last reviewed: 8 October 2026