Overthinking can trap you in a draining loop of worry and stress, especially amidst the challenges of life in Lebanon.

This article explores why our minds overthink and how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques can help break the cycle. From understanding common “thinking traps” to learning practical tools like thought challenging, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral activation, discover how to stop overthinking and find peace of mind. We’ll also look at how a CBT therapist in Lebanon can guide you toward better mental health. Yalla, let’s get started on calming that busy mind!

Understanding Overthinking and Why We Do It

Overthinking — sometimes called rumination — is the habit of repetitive, excessive negative thinking about problems or situations. It often involves replaying past events ("Why did I do that?") or worrying about future scenarios ("What if everything goes wrong?"). While thinking is a normal part of life, overthinking means our thoughts get stuck in a loop of anxiety and negativity. Overthinking is not a clinical disorder on its own, but it can seriously affect your mental well-being. In fact, constantly getting lost in your head can drain your time and energy and make situations feel more difficult. Overthinking often increases anxiety and stress, and studies show it can raise the risk of developing depression or anxiety disorders over time. If you’ve ever found yourself lying in bed wide-eyed at 3 a.m., second-guessing decisions or imagining worst-case scenarios, you know how exhausting this mental loop can be.

The truth is, you’re not alone. Almost everyone overthinks sometimes. One study found nearly 73% of young adults (25–35) reported frequent overthinking. And given everything Lebanon has been through – from economic uncertainty and daily stressors to constant news about electricity or the dollar rate – it’s no surprise many of us find ourselves over-analyzing our every move. Mental health professionals estimate that about 1 in 4 Lebanese people will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime (25% of the population). Overthinking is one common way stress and anxiety show up, even if many hesitate to talk about it due to stigma.

Why Do We Overthink?

People often overthink for a mix of reasons. Recognizing why you overthink can help you approach it with more compassion and effective strategies. Common reasons include:

• Fear of Uncertainty: When facing unknowns, we tend to imagine every possible outcome in an attempt to feel in control. This desire for control in an unpredictable situation can lead to analysis paralysis and endless “what if” scenarios. (Sound familiar when you think about Lebanon’s future? We’ve all been there.)
• Perfectionism: If you have very high standards for yourself, you might overthink decisions to ensure the absolutely best result. The irony is that striving for the perfect choice often costs you peace of mind. For example, you might spend hours drafting the “perfect” email or planning an outing, only to end up more anxious.
• Past Experiences or Trauma: Difficult past experiences can make you hyper-vigilant. You overthink as a way to avoid repeating mistakes or getting hurt again. For instance, after a bad career move or relationship, you might over-analyze every new opportunity or person to prevent a repeat.
• Low Self-Esteem / Self-Doubt: When you doubt yourself, you’re more likely to second-guess every decision. A person with low self-confidence might constantly replay conversations wondering, “Did I say the wrong thing?” This constant self-questioning fuels more overthinking.

If some of these sound familiar, don’t beat yourself up – awareness is the first step. Overthinking often comes from a good intention (wanting to avoid danger or do well) but backfires by keeping us stuck. Next, we’ll see how this cycle works in our minds, and why it feels so hard to break.

The Overthinking Cycle: Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors

Why does overthinking make us feel so miserable? CBT theory offers a clear explanation: our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. This is often called the cognitive model. In short, what you think affects how you feel, which affects what you do (and vice-versa). Overthinking loads us with negative or anxious thoughts, which then stir up unpleasant emotions and unhelpful actions. Those actions (like avoiding problems or procrastinating) can then reinforce our negative thoughts – creating a vicious cycle.

To illustrate the cycle: imagine you text a friend and they don’t reply all day. You start thinking, “Maybe she’s upset with me. She must be ignoring me.” That thought makes you feel anxious and guilty. In response, you act by withdrawing – you don’t follow up or you avoid the friend because you assume she hates you. This behavior actually creates distance, so when she finally calls, the conversation is awkward (partly because you were avoiding her). Your original thought “she must hate me” now feels even more true, reinforcing the cycle. You’ve fallen into the trap of mind reading and catastrophizing (assuming the worst without evidence), which drove you to act in a way that confirmed your fear.

This example shows how overthinking often relies on cognitive distortions, or what psychologists call “thinking traps.” Our brains are very convincing liars when we’re anxious or down. We tend to treat our thoughts as facts, even when they are irrational or exaggerated. In CBT, a big part of overcoming overthinking is learning to catch these distorted thoughts and talk back to them.

Common “Thinking Traps” that Fuel Overthinking

Recognizing your mind’s favorite thinking traps (cognitive distortions) can be a game-changer. We all fall into these unhelpful patterns sometimes – no shame in that. Here are some of the most common thinking traps that overthinking people (yours truly included) experience:

• All-Or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in black-or-white extremes, with no middle ground. If a situation isn’t 100% perfect, you label it a total failure. For example, you think “Either I succeed completely, or I’m a loser.” This kind of dichotomous thinking ignores the gray areas in life. (In Lebanese slang, we might say “عم تعمل من الحبة قبة,” turning a grain into a dome – making a mountain out of a molehill!) Reality: very few things are purely all good or all bad.
• Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst-case scenario and blowing things out of proportion. Your imagination runs to the most terrible explanation. If your boss schedules a meeting, you immediately think, “I’m getting fired today!”. In truth, the meeting could be about something minor. Catastrophizing makes us feel intense panic over outcomes that are actually unlikely. CBT teaches us to “de-catastrophize” by asking: How likely is this worst-case, really? and Even if it happened, could I cope? We often find we’ve underestimated our ability to handle challenges.
• Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking (usually something negative about you) without real evidence. You might think “My coworker didn’t say hi this morning; she must hate me.” In reality, maybe she was just preoccupied or having a bad day. Mind reading often leads to misunderstandings and more anxiety. Truth is, none of us are actual psychics – the only way to know what someone thinks is to communicate.
• Overgeneralization: Believing that because something bad happened once, it will “always” happen, or that one mistake defines “who you are.” For example, if you had one unsuccessful job interview, you think “I’m never going to get a job, I always blow it”. Using words like “always,” “never,” “everyone,” “nobody” in your thoughts is a red flag for overgeneralization. Life is rarely so absolute – by catching those words and looking for exceptions, you can see a more balanced picture (hey, sometimes things do work out!).
• Emotional Reasoning: This trap is when you trust your feelings as proof that something is true. “I feel anxious, so I just know something bad will happen” – sound familiar? Just because we feel a certain way doesn’t mean reality will match. Feelings are not facts. You might feel “stupid” or “useless” in a moment of low mood, but that doesn’t mean you actually are. In overthinking, emotional reasoning can make your fears snowball, because feeling scared makes you believe there must be danger. Reminding yourself that emotions can mislead – like a false alarm – helps break this trap.

These are just a few examples of thinking traps that contribute to overthinking. Maybe you recognize some of your own patterns here. The good news is that once you identify a thinking trap, you can challenge it. This is where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) comes in with practical strategies.

How to Stop Overthinking with CBT Techniques

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a proven approach for reducing anxiety and breaking negative thought cycles. In fact, CBT has a “robust evidence base” for helping with a range of issues including depression, anxiety, and insomnia – all problems that often involve overthinking. Simply put, CBT teaches you skills to change your thinking patterns and behaviors, so you can feel better. It’s a structured, goal-oriented form of therapy that focuses on the here-and-now problems (like your current worry spirals) and finding healthier ways to cope.

You can think of CBT as working on two key areas: 1) your thoughts (the "Cognitive" part), and 2) your actions (the "Behavioral" part). Both are important in taming overthinking. Let’s explore a few CBT techniques that you can try:

1. Identifying and Challenging Negative Thoughts (Cognitive Restructuring)

When you’re caught in overthinking, your mind is often telling you scary or discouraging stories. A core CBT skill is learning to challenge those negative thoughts and replace them with more balanced ones. This process is called cognitive restructuring or thought challenging. Think of it as fact-checking your anxious thoughts and correcting the exaggerations.

First, you learn to identify the automatic negative thoughts running through your mind. For example, say you keep thinking, “I’m sure I’ll embarrass myself at that presentation; I’ll totally mess it up.” Instead of accepting that as truth, CBT encourages you to question it. Ask yourself things like:

• “What evidence do I have for this thought? And what evidence against it?”
• “Am I perhaps jumping to conclusions or worst-case scenarios?”
• “If a friend had this thought about themselves, what would I tell them?” (We tend to be kinder and more rational with friends than with ourselves!)
• “Is this thought a fact, or is it my fear/emotion talking?”

By interrogating the thought calmly, like a detective, you often find holes in its logic. Maybe you realize, “Hold on, I’ve done fine in presentations before,” or “People generally don’t laugh at me; I’m predicting a disaster with no real evidence.” This is the essence of CBT: recognizing that thoughts are not always facts, especially the scary ones our anxious mind throws at us.

A helpful CBT mantra is: “Don’t believe everything you think.” When you catch yourself in a thinking trap, pause and challenge it. You can even write down a thought record: note the situation, the negative thought, how it made you feel, then come up with a more balanced thought. For example:

• Situation: Big presentation at work next week.
• Automatic Thought: “I’m going to fail miserably; everyone will think I’m incompetent.”
• Emotions: fear, dread (intensity 8/10).
• Challenging the thought: What evidence supports this? (I haven’t failed before, my boss gave good feedback last time. I’m prepared.) What evidence against it? (I tend to catastrophize. One little mistake doesn’t equal total failure.)
• Alternative Thought: “It might not be perfect, but I’ve prepared and I’ll do my best. Even if I stumble, it’s not the end of the world. I can handle it.”
• New Feeling: nervous but also more confident, determined (anxiety down to 4/10).

By replacing negative self-talk with more realistic, encouraging thoughts, you maintain perspective and reduce anxiety. You basically coach yourself through the overthinking. This technique takes practice – it can feel a bit unnatural at first to talk back to your own mind. But with time, you’ll start to automatically think in a more balanced way. You’ll catch yourself and say, “خيّ, يمكن عم بكبّر القصة براسي” (“khayye, maybe I’m blowing this up in my head”).

Tip: It can help to literally write down your thought challenges (in a journal or a notes app). Seeing the rational response on paper (or screen) reinforces it. Some people even find it empowering to give their anxious inner voice a nickname and answer it aloud! However you do it, the goal is to break the authority of those negative thoughts. You turn “I know this will go wrong!” into “I’m worrying, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. Let me consider other outcomes.” This is CBT’s cognitive work in action, known to relieve anxiety and stress when practiced consistently.

2. Behavioral Activation: Action Over Analysis

Overthinking often leads to analysis paralysis – we get so stuck in our heads that we stop engaging in life or taking any action. One of the most powerful CBT strategies to combat this is Behavioral Activation, which basically means doing something active and positive to change your mood and perspective. Instead of waiting to “feel better” before you do anything, Behavioral Activation says do something small first – the change in behavior will help you feel better after.

Think of it this way: when we overthink, we tend to withdraw, avoid, or procrastinate. But that just leaves us alone with our racing thoughts (which then get louder!). Behavioral Activation breaks this cycle by pushing us to get moving and engage with the world, even if our mind is telling us to stay put. Research has found that increasing rewarding, meaningful activities helps improve mood and can interrupt the cycle of negative thoughts. In fact, even though Behavioral Activation focuses on changing behavior rather than thoughts, it often leads to a reduction in worrying because your mind has new input and feedback from the environment. It’s harder to keep overthinking when you’re actively involved in something.

Key principle: “Stop overthinking and take one small action.” Even a tiny action can start to shift your mental state. For example, if you’re spiraling in worry about an upcoming exam, get up and spend 10 minutes organizing your notes or doing a quick review of one topic. If you’re depressed and ruminating (“I have no energy or motivation”), force yourself – kindly but firmly – to do one simple activity, like taking a 5-minute walk or even just a shower. Getting into motion, even when you don’t feel like it, can change your emotions for the better. We often talk ourselves out of action, thinking “I’ll do it when I feel more motivated.” But in many cases, action precedes motivation – once you start, you feel a bit more hopeful or energized to continue.

Here are some Behavioral Activation ideas to break an overthinking loop:

• Exercise or Movement: Physical activity releases endorphins that naturally reduce stress. A brisk walk in your neighborhood, a quick jog on the Corniche, or even some stretching at home can clear your mind. As one therapist quipped, “You can’t solve everything by walking, but you’d be surprised how often it helps!” Even in Beirut traffic, a walk might beat sitting and stewing in thoughts.
• Productive Distraction: Do a small, concrete task that gives a sense of accomplishment. For example, wash the dishes, water the plants on your balcony, or organize one drawer. It sounds mundane, but completing a simple task can give you back a feeling of control and break the chain of worry thoughts.
• Pleasurable Activities: Overthinking often robs us of joy. Schedule something fun or relaxing, even if you feel you’re “too anxious” to enjoy it. Watch a favorite comedy show, call a close friend, play a game with your kid or pet your cat. Engaging in an activity that you normally find pleasurable can shift your mood and remind you life isn’t only the problem in your head.
• Social Interaction: When we’re stuck in our heads, being around others (especially positive, supportive people) can pull us out. You might not feel talkative, but even listening to others or sitting in a café around people can help. Lebanon has a strong social culture – spending time with family or a trusted friend talking about something other than your worries (or even talking about your worries) can provide relief. Don’t underestimate the power of a coffee and chat at the local ahweh!

The idea is to do, not just think. By taking action, you send your brain new signals (“Hey, I accomplished this small thing!” or “That was enjoyable!”) which can counteract the negative thought loop. One small step often leads to another, creating a positive momentum. Yalla, step by step. As one life coach put it: making a task smaller and more “doable” tricks the brain – it can’t argue its way out of a 5-minute activity the way it can with a huge daunting task. Over time, those small actions add up, and you prove to yourself that you can overcome that stuck feeling.

3. Other Helpful Techniques: Problem-Solving, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion

CBT is a toolbox filled with many strategies, and different ones work for different people. Alongside thought-challenging and behavioral activation, here are a few more techniques that can help you stop overthinking:

• Structured Problem-Solving: Sometimes we overthink as a way of trying to solve problems — but we end up just worrying instead of solving. CBT therapists often teach a step-by-step problem-solving method. This involves clearly defining the problem you’re facing, brainstorming possible solutions, weighing pros/cons, choosing one, and then taking action on it. For example, if you’re obsessing over a conflict with a coworker, write down: What exactly is the problem? (e.g., misunderstanding about project duties). List solutions (talk to them, involve a manager, adjust your own task, etc.), consider the best option, then do it. Having a concrete plan can reduce the endless loop of “what do I do?” thoughts. It shifts you from passive worrying to active coping.
• Mindfulness and “Being Present”: Mindfulness is about gently bringing your attention to the present moment, without judgment. When we overthink, we’re usually lost in past regrets or future worries. Training yourself in mindfulness (through practices like deep breathing, meditation, or simply grounding exercises) can pull you out of those mental time travels. For instance, if you catch yourself ruminating, pause and notice your surroundings: “I’m sitting on my balcony, I feel the breeze, I hear the birds,” (PS: eza 3eyish b Beirut this exact example may not apply so I don’t know what to tell you). Acknowledge your anxious thoughts as just thoughts, not as facts or as part of you, and let them pass by like clouds. Regular mindfulness practice has been shown to reduce rumination and overthinking by helping you not get so entangled in your thoughts. Even a few minutes a day can build this skill. (Think of it as mental training – like doing reps at the gym, but for your brain’s focus!)
• Self-Compassion and Realistic Perspective: Often, overthinkers are extremely hard on themselves. We criticize ourselves for having worries, and then we worry about worrying – a vicious cycle! Applying self-compassion means treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you’d offer to a friend. Remind yourself that everyone struggles and makes mistakes, and that it’s okay to not have everything figured out. Instead of “I’m weak for feeling this way,” try “I’m human and doing my best under stress.” A little self-kindness can go a long way in calming an overactive mind. Also, try to keep perspective: ask yourself, will this issue matter next week, next year? Many times, the mind blows up issues that are actually temporary or minor. A gentle reality check can deflate that bubble of worry.

Each of these techniques can complement the core CBT strategies. For example, mindfulness can make you more aware of when you need to challenge a thought, and self-compassion makes it easier to take action (since you’re not bashing yourself at the same time). You might find some tools resonate more with you than others – that’s normal. The goal is to create your own “toolkit” for managing overthinking.

Seeking Help: Working with a CBT Therapist in Lebanon

While you can practice many of these techniques on your own, sometimes it’s much easier with guidance. If your overthinking is constant, overwhelming, or really impacting your daily life, consider reaching out to a psychologist in Lebanon who specializes in CBT. Working with a professional isn’t “weak” – on the contrary, it’s a proactive step to take care of your mental health (just like you’d see a doctor for a persistent physical pain).

In recent years, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Lebanon has become more accessible, with many trained therapists offering CBT in English and Arabic. A CBT therapist in Lebanon can help you pinpoint your specific thinking traps, teach you tailored techniques, and gently push you to practice these skills. Therapy provides a safe, non-judgmental space to explore your worries and learn coping strategies. Sometimes just talking to an objective professional about what’s circling in your mind can bring relief – you realize, “Ah, it’s not just me; these patterns have names and solutions.” Your therapist can act like a coach, helping you set small goals each week (for example, challenging one catastrophic thought per day or doing one behavioral activation task) and keeping you accountable.

Importantly, a local therapist understands the cultural context. A therapist in Beirut or elsewhere in Lebanon will get the references when you talk about daily stresses like traffic on the Dora highway, the latest political saga, or family pressures. They can help incorporate culturally relevant practices – maybe using familiar sayings (like “Ma t’khaf, ma fi shi biestahel hal ad” – “don’t worry, nothing is worth that much worry”) or drawing on community support, faith, etc., if those are meaningful to you.

Mental health in Lebanon is thankfully becoming a more open topic, and seeking help is increasingly common among younger generations and even older ones. Initiatives and clinics for mental health Lebanon-wide have expanded, especially after the tough times the country has faced (from the 2020 Beirut blast to the economic crisis) which highlighted the importance of psychological support. So if you feel stuck in your head, remember: help is available. Whether it’s a therapist, a support group, or even reputable online therapy platforms that cater to Lebanese and Arab clients, you have options. You don’t have to struggle alone or label yourself “crazy” for overthinking. The trick is learning how to manage it in a healthy way.

Breaking Free: You Can Do This

Overthinking might feel like a full-time job in your head – but it’s one job you’re allowed to quit! By now, we’ve seen that overthinking thrives on distorted thoughts and avoidance. CBT offers a roadmap to address both: challenge the unhelpful thoughts and engage in positive actions. It’s not about turning into a carefree person with zero worries (that’s not realistic, wla 7ata bel movies). Instead, it’s about catching yourself when the worry wheel starts turning and saying, “Khalas, enough. Let me handle this differently.” You replace chaos with structure: instead of marathon worrying, you do a structured thought challenge or a 15-minute activity. Instead of assuming the worst, you become curious and test those assumptions. Bit by bit, you retrain your brain.

Remember, overcoming overthinking is a journey. Be patient and kind with yourself. Some days you’ll fall back into the spiral – that’s okay, it happens to everyone. Just use it as a reminder to dust off your CBT tools. Maybe today you challenge that negative thought, tomorrow you take a walk when anxiety builds, the next day you finally make that phone call you’ve been overthinking. Each step counts.

Life in Lebanon, with all its beauty and challenges, will always give us things to worry about . But you can change how you respond to those worries. With practice, support, and perhaps the help of a CBT therapist in Lebanon, you can turn down the volume of overthinking and turn up the volume of living. Imagine the relief of a quieter mind: focusing on the present, enjoying your fenjen l coffee without your thoughts racing, actually falling asleep at night without replaying every conversation. It is possible.

So, yalla, are you ready to put those racing thoughts in check? Give these techniques a try. As our grandparents might say, “ما تعطل هم بكرا أحلى” – “don’t worry, tomorrow is brighter.” With the right strategies, you can make sure that overthinking doesn’t dim your today. You deserve peace of mind – one thought at a time.