Hey there,
It's Renee Noah-Harris here and if you have ever found yourself ruminating on something that happened like last year or a particular moment that occurred at 2.
15pm on Saturday afternoon or maybe for you it's worrying constantly about the same thing that might happen in the future and you keep circling it and circling it as though thinking about the same thing for long enough will somehow be productive,
Then stay with me because this video is for you.
Happening in your brain during moments of overthinking.
If you are familiar with the other brain on videos,
You may already know I like to imagine the brain as a company and overthinking That is the board meeting that refuses to end.
Now,
There are a lot of networks involved here,
But for ease,
Let me introduce you to the main players of this meeting.
First is your CEO.
This is your prefrontal cortex helping you to evaluate,
Plan,
Make decisions.
And you have your head of security.
It includes your amygdala.
This is to detect possible threats.
Next is your archivist.
This includes your hippocampus,
Searching for past experiences and for clues.
And then you have the PR department representing your default mode network or internal storytelling network.
They're often asking,
What does this mean about me?
And you can imagine they're all sitting around a table.
The head of security speaks first.
Is this still a threat?
The archivist opens the file.
Let's review everything that's ever happened up until this point,
Especially that moment at 2.
15 p.
M.
When we got that look.
And PR leans forward,
Yes.
What did that look mean about us?
Your CEO is listening carefully.
These are all good points,
Team,
But I don't think we're ready to make a decision yet.
We need more information.
The archivist says yes,
That does make sense.
But I really do think if we look at that moment at 2.
15 again,
We might find something.
And so around the table they go.
The same concern,
The same memory,
The same interpretation of the same information until eventually the CEO says,
Let's revisit this tomorrow.
So everyone comes back the next day or more realistically for us over thinkers later that same day and they hold exactly the same meeting.
This is what overthinking often looks like in your brain.
Your brain is looping and it's not looping because it's broken.
It is looping because it believes that if it keeps searching,
Certainty may eventually appear.
Totally understandable.
Your head of security is just trying to keep you safe.
Your archivist is just trying to learn from the past.
PR is trying to make sense of what this means for you and the CEO.
They're just trying to reach the right decision.
Every department is doing its job.
Every department is working as it should.
The problem is at some point.
The meeting stops producing anything new.
One of the clearest signs that thinking has turned into overthinking is this.
The meeting is still running.
But nobody is bringing in new information anymore.
Because useful thinking may help you understand something differently,
Help you process something.
It may lead to a decision or point you toward an action.
Overthinking just keeps reviewing the same evidence,
Hoping that one more round will finally produce certainty.
So the next time you find yourself circling something,
Ask this.
Do I have any new information here?
Or am I holding the same meeting?
And if the answer is there is no new information,
Then remind yourself,
Not every meeting needs another round.
You can perhaps let this one go for now.
And if it helps as it often does.
Ground yourself in your body.
Take a breath,
Feel your feet on the floor.
Bring your attention to the life that's happening right now because sometimes.
The most productive thing you can do.
Is adjourn the meeting.
And begin teaching your brain which concerns need to be revisited and which ones don't.
