Start paying attention to the way you think so you can become aware of the problem.

When you’re replaying events in your mind over and over, or worrying about things you can’t control, acknowledge that this isn’t productive. Thinking is only helpful when it leads to positive action.

If it’s something you have some control over, consider how you can prevent the problem, or challenge yourself to identify five potential solutions.

If it’s something you have no control over, think about the strategies you can use to cope with it. Focus on the things you can control, like your attitude and effort.

It’s easy to get carried away with negative thoughts.

Remember that your emotions will interfere with your ability to look at situations objectively. Take a step back and look at the evidence.

Thinking about how you could do things differently or recognizing potential pitfalls to your plan could help you perform better in the future.

Incorporate 20 minutes of “thinking time” into your daily schedule. When your time is up, move on to something else.

When you start overthinking things outside of your scheduled time, simply remind yourself that you’ll need to wait until your “thinking time” to address those issues in your mind.

Mindfulness will help you become more aware of the here and now.

Mindfulness takes practice, but over time, it can decrease overthinking. There are classes, books, apps, courses, and videos available to help you learn mindfulness skills.

Telling yourself to stop thinking about something will backfire.

Change the channel in your brain by changing your activity. Exercise, engage in conversation on a completely different subject, or work on a project that distracts you. Doing something different will put an end to the barrage of negative thoughts.