How to Manage Spiralling Thoughts and Rumination by a Melbourne Psychologist

For when your brain won’t stop overthinking everything you’ve ever said or done

Spiralling Thoughts Are More Common Than You Think

Ever caught your brain replaying an awkward conversation from six years ago while trying to fall asleep? Or spiralling down a rabbit hole of “what ifs” after sending a mildly worded email?

You're not alone. Spiralling thoughts and rumination are incredibly common—especially if you live with anxiety or depression. The brain thinks it's helping by “working things out,” but often it just ends up catastrophising, second-guessing, and convincing us that everything is falling apart (even if all you did was forget to reply to a text).

And while overthinking can be helpful in small doses (like learning from a mistake or prepping for a big event), too much of it leaves us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stuck. Instead of problem-solving, we end up mentally pacing in circles.

So, how do we press pause on the mental hamster wheel?

5 Ways to Slow the Spiral

Here are five practical things you can do when your thoughts won’t stop looping:

1. Pause and Ground Through Your Senses

Start by hitting the mental brakes. Tune into your body and your environment. What can you see, hear, feel, or smell? Name five things in the room. Wiggle your toes. Breathe slowly. It sounds simple (and maybe a bit woo-woo), but grounding pulls you out of your head and back into the present.

Think of it as helping your brain realise, “Hey, I’m safe right now. No need for a full-blown internal drama.”

2. Check in With Your Physical Needs

Before diving into deep self-analysis, ask yourself the basics: Am I tired? Hungry? Dehydrated? Do I need to pee?

You’d be surprised how often spiralling thoughts are fuelled by an overtired brain or low blood sugar. Addressing your basic needs can instantly lower your stress levels and help you think more clearly. Because honestly, it’s hard to think rationally when your stomach is growling and your bladder is yelling.

3. Are These Thoughts Facts… or Just Feelings in Fancy Costumes?

Our thoughts can feel very convincing, but they’re not always telling the truth.

Ask yourself: Is this thought a fact, or is it fuelled by fear, guilt, or stress? Do I have solid evidence for this, or is it my anxiety with a megaphone again?

You don’t need to argue with every thought. Sometimes just recognising, “Oh hey, that’s anxiety talking” is enough.

4. Is There a Problem Here… and Can I Actually Solve It?

Spiralling thoughts love unsolvable puzzles.

So pause and ask: Is this something I can do something about right now? If yes—great! Take one small step.If no—can you give yourself permission to let it go (or at least put it on tomorrow’s worry list)?

Rumination loves to pretend it’s being helpful. But if there’s nothing to act on, you’re probably just stuck in a mental loop with no exit strategy.

5. Remind Yourself: You’ve Got Skills

Spirals love to make us forget we’ve handled tough stuff before. But you have. So take a moment to remember your strengths, supports, and coping skills. You’ve survived every hard day so far—and that’s not nothing.

Try telling yourself something affirming, even if it feels a little cheesy:“This feels hard, but I know how to take care of myself.”“I’ve felt like this before, and I got through it.”

How Therapy at The Inner Collective Can Help

Sometimes the spiral is too strong to break on your own—and that’s totally okay. Therapy can help you unpack your thought patterns, find the roots of your anxiety or rumination, and build practical, tailored strategies to get unstuck.

Our Melbourne Psychologists at The Inner Collective take a warm, neuroaffirming, and evidence-based approach. We work with people who are tired of their brains running the show—and want tools that actually work.

Ready to Break the Loop? Our Melbourne Psychologists can help

If overthinking is stealing your peace, therapy might be the circuit-breaker you need. Our team of Melbourne Psychologists in the Melbourne CBD are here to help you hit pause, slow things down, and find your way back to clarity.

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