Managing Worry for Chronic Overthinkers in Somerset and beyond.

6 Top Tips from a Counsellor & Hypnotherapist on Managing Worry When You’re a Chronic Overthinker

1. Stop Trying to Solve the Worry

One of the biggest traps chronic overthinkers fall into is believing that worry needs to be solved. The mind goes round and round, trying to find certainty in situations that are often uncertain by nature.

Constant worry & overthinking

Instead of asking:

“How do I fix this?”

Try asking:

“What does my nervous system need right now?”

Worry often signals a need for reassurance, safety, or rest — not more analysis. Shifting from problem-solving to self-soothing can take the intensity out of anxious thoughts surprisingly quickly.

If you’re struggling with chronic worry or overthinking and you’re based in Somerset, I offer in-person counselling and hypnotherapy sessions in a calm, supportive setting. Working face-to-face can be especially helpful if you value a grounded, relational approach and the reassurance of being physically held in a therapeutic space.

Alongside my local work in Somerset, I also support clients online, which means you can work with me from anywhere in the UK — or further afield — using secure, confidential platforms. Online sessions offer flexibility and continuity, and are just as effective for anxiety, overthinking, and nervous system regulation.

2. Contain Your Worry Instead of Letting It Take Over

Worry becomes overwhelming when it’s allowed to roam freely all day (and night). One way to manage this is by containing worry, rather than trying to eliminate it.

This might look like:

• Setting aside a short “worry window” during the day

• Writing worries down instead of holding them in your head

• Gently telling yourself, “I’ve noted this — I’ll return to it later”

This helps your mind feel heard, without letting worry dominate your entire mental space.

3. Ground the Body Before Trying to Calm the Mind

Chronic worry lives in the body first. Tight shoulders, shallow breathing, a clenched jaw or restless legs are all signs that the nervous system is activated.

Before trying to reason with your thoughts, focus on grounding your body:

• Slow, steady breathing

• Feeling your feet on the floor

• Warmth, pressure, or gentle movement

When the body begins to feel safer, the mind naturally follows. This is why body-based approaches are often far more effective for chronic overthinkers than purely cognitive techniques.

4. Use Imagery to Interrupt the Worry Loop

For many overthinkers, imagery can be a powerful way to step out of repetitive worry cycles.

You might imagine:

• Placing your worries into a container and closing the lid

• Turning down the volume on anxious thoughts

Watch worries float away like passing clouds

Or

• Watching worries float past like clouds rather than engaging with them

This works because imagery speaks to the subconscious mind — the part that governs emotional responses — rather than the thinking mind that’s already overloaded.

5. Change Your Relationship With Your Thoughts

You don’t need to believe everything you think.

Chronic overthinkers often treat thoughts as urgent messages that must be acted on immediately. In reality, thoughts are mental events — not facts or instructions.

Practising noticing thoughts without engaging with them can be incredibly freeing:

• “There’s the worry again.”

• “That’s my mind trying to protect me.”

• “I don’t have to follow this thought.”

This gentle distancing reduces the emotional charge around worry and helps break the habit of constant mental engagement.

6. Soothe the Part of You That’s Trying to Protect You

At its core, overthinking is usually an attempt to stay safe.

Rather than criticising yourself for worrying, try acknowledging the protective part behind it:

“I can see you’re trying to help.”

Offering reassurance, compassion, and calm to this part can be far more effective than trying to silence it. When the nervous system feels understood, it no longer needs to shout so loudly.

A Gentle Reflection for Chronic Overthinkers

Take a moment to reflect:

• What does my worry believe it’s protecting me from?

• What happens when I soften instead of analyse?

• Where in my body do I feel worry most strongly?

There are no right answers — just curiosity.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If you’re a chronic overthinker, you don’t need to try harder or think your way out of worry. You need support that works with your nervous system, not against it.

I offer counselling and hypnotherapy for anxiety and overthinking in Somerset, as well as online sessions for clients who prefer to work remotely. Counselling and hypnotherapy can help you move out of survival mode and into a calmer, more grounded way of being — one that doesn’t rely on constant vigilance to feel safe.

If this blog resonated, you’re very welcome to get in touch and explore whether working together feels like the right next step.

"Work with me in-person or on-line"