The Overthinker’s Survival Kit: 30 Simple But Effective Hacks 🧠💭

Your brain loves nothing more than hosting a marathon panic session.

Give it 10 minutes on the clock.

Spiral as hard as you like imagine losing your job, your house, your cat.

When the buzzer goes, spiral’s over. Done. Your brain doesn’t like boundaries, but it respects alarms.

👉 Here’s the timer I abuse daily . Bonus: it makes spiralling feel like a weird game show.

Forget complicated affirmations. Sometimes you just need to sit down, breathe, and whisper “shut up” at your own skull like a disgruntled librarian.

Does it work?

Depends.

But it’s free, and slightly less awkward than screaming into a pillow.

You can’t overthink when you’re too busy shrieking “OH MY GOD WHY”.

A cold shower shocks your body into the present and kicks your spirals into temporary exile.

Bonus points if you film yourself and accidentally create a viral introvert meltdown TikTok.

👉 Pair it with this shower timer so you know when you’ve suffered enough.

Introverts love planning things.

Why not schedule your panic attacks?

Open your calendar: “Spiral about work emails Tuesday at 4pm.” When your brain tries to panic early, tell it you’re fully booked.

Nothing confuses anxiety more than admin.

Scatter motivational graffiti across your house.

Not the Pinterest kind... but introverted friendly kind.

“It’s probably fine.”

“Nobody noticed.”

“Greg from Tesco isn’t plotting against you.”

👉 Grab some fun sticky notes. Future You will thank you when you’re spiralling in the bathroom.

Box breathing. 4-7-8 breathing.

Or my personal favourite: sighing dramatically like you’re in a Jane Austen novel. Either way, oxygen = a calmer brain.

Here is something that helped me - Breath: Improve your health and well-being by discovering the lost art of breathing !

That one mate who always replies “Stop spiralling, you goblin".

You don’t need 50 friends.

You need that one. Keep them on speed dial.

Your brain says: “What if I embarrass myself?”

You say: “Then I’ll move to Peru, live in a hut, and herd llamas.”

Take it to the absurd extreme.

Suddenly the spiral feels less terrifying, more sitcom.

Write down your nocturnal nonsense.

“What if my boss hates me?”

“What if I die alone?”

“What if I left the oven on in 2004?”

Then read it in daylight and laugh at 80% of it.

👉 Get yourself a worry jar. Extra points if it looks like it could hold ancient curses.

Sometimes the solution isn’t deep breathing.

It’s unconsciousness.

Overthinking hates naps because it can’t get your attention.

Set a timer so you don’t wake up in 2027.

Introverts don’t just own headphones.

We live inside them.

They are noise armour, world filters, and anti-human shields.

Slip them on, play lo-fi beats, and your spiral gets downgraded from “screaming” to “background mumble.”

👉 These are my absolute favs... they are basically portable caves... enjoy the peace!

The Office.

Parks & Rec.

New Girl.

Anything predictable enough to calm the chaos.

Rewatching is self-care.

Your spiral can’t compete with Jim pranking Dwight for the 47th time.

Overthinking can’t survive when you’re wheezing at dumb memes.

Build a playlist of comedy specials, cat fails, and clips of toddlers falling over (safely of course).

Laughter is basically your brain’s reset button.

Your brain loves to catastrophise.

Trick it into obsessing over knitting, origami, model kits or juggling instead.

Hobbies are legal distractions.

Bonus: you get a beautiful wooden ornament at the end.

👉 I personally love these wooden kits . Spiral-proof guaranteed.

Clear your inbox.

Delete 200 blurry photos of your cat.

Spiral transforms into righteous fury: “Why am I still subscribed to Sofa Warehouse Weekly?” Clear up all that digital clutter!

Dogs comfort you. Cats judge you.

Both distract you.

Sometimes you just need a creature that doesn’t care about your spiral, because they’re too busy plotting world domination.

👉 I Treat my four legged friend to these Squeaky Toys. Its keeps them occupied while you meltdown.

Overthinkers LOVE a lists.

Turn your panic into bullet points.

You’ll feel productive even if you never tick anything off.

It’s like origami for anxiety.

The only therapy cheaper than snacks.

Swap spirals for existential memes.

Nothing validates an overthinker more than laughing at their own impending doom.

Introverts crave silence like coffee addicts crave espresso.

Pop in earplugs, block out the world, and let your brain scream uninterrupted.

Surprisingly soothing.

Go with me on this... imagine hitting a giant red button every time your brain offers fresh panic.

Extra cathartic if you actually own one.

👉 I have this on my desk and use it daily. Slam it every time someone invites you to “just pop out for drinks.”

Left alone, introverts will write a 12-page rant about why Greg from Tesco hates them.

Guided journals keep you on track.

Prompts = fewer spirals, more insights.
👉 The Rage Within Journal has you covered!

Forget toxic positivity.

Try: “I’m not a disaster, just dramatic.”

Better yet, have affirmations made by introverts for introverts.
👉 Grab my 10 Quiet Power Affirmations

Sometimes your spirals need subtitles because, honestly, even you can’t follow the plot.

That’s where therapy comes in: someone who gets paid to listen to your brain’s nonsense and then politely say, “That’s not actually true.”

Magical. 🪄

If therapy isn’t on the cards right now (money, time, or sheer social anxiety at booking the first session), don’t worry - you’ve got options.

👉 Join the waitlist for my weekly Rage Within Newsletter (coming soon). It will be cheaper than therapy, with more memes and fewer awkward silences.

Write a note from “Future You”:

“Relax. It worked out. Idiot.”

Stick it in your fridge.

Instant midnight snack time reassurance!

Overthinking loves multi-tasking panic.

Tell it no.

Pick ONE thing.

Do it.

Pretend the rest doesn’t exist. Productivity via denial.

This isn’t just a blanket.

It’s emotional armour.

Slip under one and suddenly your spirals feel as light as a feather.

👉 I hide under this weighted wonder... just don’t expect me to come out.

The word “exercise” feels like punishment.

Call it rage-walking, introvert yoga, or kitchen dancing.

Moving your body is basically sneaky brain hacking.

Spirals love secrecy.

Drag them into the open.

Write them down, then set them on fire. (Safely. Don’t burn your flat down. You’ll spiral harder.)

Sometimes the only answer is snacks.

Introverts know the power of crisps, chocolate, or hummus as a temporary cure.

But be careful you don't get lost in a Doritos deep dive... they can be very moreish!

Alone time isn’t optional.

It’s oxygen.

Build a recharge routine and protect it like your life depends on it.

Spoiler: it does.

As an Introverts you wont stop overthinking.

But instead turn it into a performance art.

With these simple hacks, you can spiral responsibly, laugh at yourself, and maybe even get some sleep.

Keep this post in your favorites so next time your brain decides to audition for Drama Queen of the Year, you’ll be ready.

Blanket optional.