Sometimes, our minds get too busy. We keep thinking about the same thing over and over. This is called overthinking. It can make small problems feel big. It can also make it hard to sleep, focus, or feel calm. People often use special phrases, or idioms, to talk about this. These idioms make it easier to share how we feel without using many words.
In this article, you will learn idioms that people use when they talk about overthinking. These idioms are part of everyday language. You might hear them at school, at home, or on TV. Learning them can help you understand what others are saying. It can also help you speak more clearly when you feel stuck in your thoughts. Let’s find out what these idioms mean and how they are used.
Idioms for Overthinking
1. Beat a dead horse
Meaning: Keep talking about something that is already settled.
Give an Instance: Stop talking about the test it’s like beating a dead horse. / She kept going over the rules again and again.
Substitute Meaning: Repeat something too much / Keep bringing it up
2. Lost in thought
Meaning: Thinking so much that you forget what’s around you.
Give an Instance: He missed the bus because he was lost in thought. / She didn’t hear her name because she was deep in her thoughts.
Substitute Meaning: Daydreaming / Not paying attention
3. Make a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: Make a small problem seem big.
Give an Instance: It was just a tiny stain, but she acted like it ruined her dress. / He got one question wrong and thought he would fail.
Substitute Meaning: Overreact / Worry too much
4. Running in circles
Meaning: Doing the same thing again and again without solving the problem.
Give an Instance: I was running in circles trying to pick the right book. / He kept checking his answers over and over.
Substitute Meaning: Stuck / Getting nowhere
5. In your own head
Meaning: Thinking too much and not noticing what’s going on.
Give an Instance: She was in her own head and didn’t hear the bell. / He kept thinking about the mistake all day.
Substitute Meaning: Overthinking / Not aware
6. Going down a rabbit hole
Meaning: Starting to think about one thing and ending up thinking about many.
Give an Instance: I looked up one thing and ended up reading for hours. / She started with a simple thought and got lost in many others.
Substitute Meaning: Thinking too much / Getting carried away
7. Over the top
Meaning: Doing more than needed.
Give an Instance: He made ten drafts of the poster. That’s a bit over the top. / She wrote five pages when one was enough.
Substitute Meaning: Too much / Extra effort for no reason
8. On a loop
Meaning: Thinking the same thought again and again.
Give an Instance: That song was stuck in my head, playing on a loop. / I kept thinking about what I said in class.
Substitute Meaning: Repeating in your mind / Won’t stop thinking
9. Make your head spin
Meaning: Too much information or thinking at once.
Give an Instance: The instructions made my head spin. / I thought about it so much that my head hurt.
Substitute Meaning: Confused / Overwhelmed
10. Read into it
Meaning: Think something means more than it does.
Give an Instance: I said “good job,” and she thought I was mad. She read into it. / Don’t read too much into my text.
Substitute Meaning: Overthink what was said / Imagine more than is true
11. Second-guess
Meaning: Doubt your own choices.
Give an Instance: I second-guessed my answer and changed it to the wrong one. / She second-guessed her dress and changed three times.
Substitute Meaning: Doubt yourself / Change your mind often
12. Splitting hairs
Meaning: Worrying too much about small details.
Give an Instance: We are just splitting hairs about the color now. / He kept changing one word over and over.
Substitute Meaning: Focusing on tiny things / Being picky
13. Overthink it
Meaning: Think too much about something.
Give an Instance: Just pick a snack. Don’t overthink it. / She overthought her story and ran out of time.
Substitute Meaning: Worry too much / Think too hard
14. Stew over it
Meaning: Keep thinking about something that upsets you.
Give an Instance: He stewed over the mean comment all day. / She couldn’t sleep because she was stewing about her grade.
Substitute Meaning: Worry for a long time / Stay upset
15. Blow it out of proportion
Meaning: Think it’s worse than it really is.
Give an Instance: I just forgot my pencil. Don’t blow it out of proportion. / She blew it out of proportion when the teacher called on her.
Substitute Meaning: Exaggerate / Make it bigger than it is
16. Get worked up
Meaning: Get too upset or worried.
Give an Instance: Don’t get worked up it’s just a quiz. / He got worked up about what might happen.
Substitute Meaning: Stress out / Get nervous
17. Drive yourself crazy
Meaning: Think so much that it makes you upset.
Give an Instance: She’s driving herself crazy trying to be perfect. / He checked his backpack ten times and still felt unsure.
Substitute Meaning: Overthink / Worry too much
18. Mind is racing
Meaning: Many thoughts coming quickly.
Give an Instance: My mind was racing before the test. / Her mind raced thinking about what she said.
Substitute Meaning: Too many thoughts / Can’t calm down
19. Can’t let it go
Meaning: Keep thinking about something and not move on.
Give an Instance: He made a small mistake, but he can’t let it go. / She keeps talking about that one time.
Substitute Meaning: Hold onto it / Keep thinking
20. Tie yourself in knots
Meaning: Worry so much that you get confused.
Give an Instance: I tied myself in knots trying to make everyone happy. / She got all mixed up trying to please the teacher.
Substitute Meaning: Stress yourself / Overthink and worry
21. Think too much
Meaning: Spend too much time thinking about something.
Give an Instance: You’re thinking too much about the lunch menu. / He thinks too much about what others say.
Substitute Meaning: Worry for no reason / Overdo it
22. Go overboard
Meaning: Do more than needed.
Give an Instance: She went overboard with her school project. / He went overboard choosing the perfect snack.
Substitute Meaning: Do too much / Overdo things
23. Stir the pot
Meaning: Bring up things that make people upset or worry.
Give an Instance: He stirred the pot by asking too many questions. / Don’t stir the pot it’s over now.
Substitute Meaning: Make things worse / Bring up old stuff
24. Play it over and over
Meaning: Think about the same thing again and again.
Give an Instance: She played that moment over and over in her head. / I kept playing what I said back in my mind.
Substitute Meaning: Repeat in your head / Replay it mentally
25. Overload your brain
Meaning: Fill your mind with too much at once.
Give an Instance: I overloaded my brain studying all night. / His brain felt full of too many worries.
Substitute Meaning: Too much thinking / Brain is full
26. Dig too deep
Meaning: Try too hard to find meaning in something.
Give an Instance: You’re digging too deep into a simple comment. / Don’t dig too deep just enjoy it.
Substitute Meaning: Overanalyze / Look too hard
27. Beat yourself up
Meaning: Blame yourself too much.
Give an Instance: He kept beating himself up over a tiny mistake. / She beat herself up for not knowing the answer.
Substitute Meaning: Feel too bad / Blame yourself
28. Go around in your head
Meaning: Keep thinking about something without stopping.
Give an Instance: The idea kept going around in my head all night. / I couldn’t sleep it wouldn’t stop.
Substitute Meaning: Keep thinking / Repeat again and again
29. Get in your own way
Meaning: Stop yourself by thinking too much.
Give an Instance: He got in his own way by doubting his answer. / She could have won, but overthinking stopped her.
Substitute Meaning: Block your success / Overthink and freeze
30. Make your brain tired
Meaning: Think so much that you feel worn out.
Give an Instance: I thought so hard my brain felt tired. / She needed a break her brain was tired.
Substitute Meaning: Too much mental work / Brain needs rest
31. Build it up
Meaning: Make something seem bigger in your head.
Give an Instance: He built up the quiz like it was the hardest ever. / She built up the idea that her friend was mad.
Substitute Meaning: Imagine it worse / Think it’s bigger than it is
32. Think in circles
Meaning: Keep thinking but never find an answer.
Give an Instance: I was thinking in circles about what to wear. / He thought in circles and never picked a game.
Substitute Meaning: Confused thoughts / Going nowhere
33. Mind on overdrive
Meaning: Thinking fast and too much.
Give an Instance: Her mind was on overdrive before the spelling bee. / My brain was working too hard it wouldn’t stop.
Substitute Meaning: Overthinking fast / Non-stop thoughts
34. Blow things up
Meaning: Make things feel worse in your mind.
Give an Instance: He blew it up in his head and got scared. / Don’t blow it up it’s not that bad.
Substitute Meaning: Overreact / Make it seem big
35. Trapped in your thoughts
Meaning: Can’t stop thinking even when you want to.
Give an Instance: She was trapped in her thoughts all night. / I felt stuck thinking about it all day.
Substitute Meaning: Stuck thinking / Can’t move on
36. Look too hard
Meaning: Try to find meaning in everything.
Give an Instance: You’re looking too hard for signs. / He looked too hard and made it confusing.
Substitute Meaning: Overanalyze / Try too much
37. Think something to death
Meaning: Think about it so much that it stops making sense.
Give an Instance: She thought the question to death and still got stuck. / I thought it to death and felt lost.
Substitute Meaning: Overthink completely / Can’t decide
38. Circle back again
Meaning: Keep returning to the same thought.
Give an Instance: I kept circling back to what I said yesterday. / He circled back to the same fear.
Substitute Meaning: Can’t let go / Repeat the thought
39. Pick it apart
Meaning: Look at every tiny piece and detail.
Give an Instance: He picked his answer apart until he doubted it. / She picked her speech apart until she felt unsure.
Substitute Meaning: Analyze too much / Break down too far
40. Too much on your mind
Meaning: Thinking about many things at once.
Give an Instance: I had too much on my mind to focus. / Her brain was full of so many worries.
Substitute Meaning: Overloaded / Too many thoughts
41. Go off on a tangent
Meaning: Think about one thing and then switch to another and another.
Give an Instance: He started thinking about homework and ended up wondering about space. / Her brain kept going off on tangents.
Substitute Meaning: Switch topics too fast / Lose focus
42. Pull it apart
Meaning: Examine it too deeply.
Give an Instance: She pulled her sentence apart too much and changed it all. / I pulled apart my art project and started over.
Substitute Meaning: Over-analyze / Take it all apart
43. Go into overdrive
Meaning: Brain working way too fast and hard.
Give an Instance: Before the game, his brain went into overdrive. / My brain was in overdrive during the spelling test.
Substitute Meaning: Extra busy brain / Overthinking fast
44. Knock it around
Meaning: Keep thinking about something again and again.
Give an Instance: I knocked the idea around in my head all day. / She kept knocking it around before making a choice.
Substitute Meaning: Consider it too much / Turn it over
45. Spin your wheels
Meaning: Work hard at thinking but don’t get anywhere.
Give an Instance: I was spinning my wheels trying to pick a topic. / She spun her wheels over a small question.
Substitute Meaning: Not making progress / Thinking too hard for no reason
Find the “Idioms for Overthinking”
Reading Passage
It was the day of the school science fair. Max had worked hard on his project, but he still wasn’t sure it was good enough. As he walked into the gym, his mind was racing with thoughts about what the judges might say.
He kept thinking, “What if I forget what to say? What if something breaks?” He knew he was in his own head again. Max stood by his project, checking it over and over, even though it was already fine. He was running in circles and making himself tired.
Lena, his friend, came by and said, “You’ve got to stop beating yourself up. You did a great job.” Max nodded, but he couldn’t let it go. He was second-guessing everything.
Then the judges walked over. Max smiled, but inside, his brain was in overdrive. He almost forgot to speak, but then he remembered to breathe. After it was over, Lena gave him a thumbs-up.
Later that day, Max said, “I really made a mountain out of a molehill, didn’t I?” Lena smiled and said, “Yep. You were totally thinking in circles, but you got through it!”
Student Task
Read the passage again. Underline or list all the idioms you can find that talk about overthinking.
Answer Key
- Mind was racing
- In his own head
- Running in circles
- Beating yourself up
- Let it go
- Second-guessing
- Overdrive
- Made a mountain out of a molehill
- Thinking in circles
Conclusion
Sometimes, we all think too much. We worry about small things or try to make everything perfect. Idioms can help us explain those feelings in a simple way. Phrases like “mind is racing” or “second-guessing” are easy to understand once we know what they mean.
By learning these idioms, we can talk about overthinking in a fun and clear way. These phrases help us show how we feel without using too many words. Try using some of these idioms when you’re feeling stuck in your thoughts it might help you feel better, too.
