For the Overthinker: 3 Practical Steps for Getting Out of Your Head

Proverbs 23:7 – “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”

We’re in the middle of a war that has been happening for generations. There is an enemy to God and to us, and he’s coming for us. The enemy’s desire is to kill, steal, and destroy. And one of the main ways he does that is through our minds.

Jesus describes the enemy as the father of lies, and I have watched person after person believe these lies. The hardest part is believing these lies to be truth and dwelling on them. This leaves our minds discouraged, distracted, and exhausted.

And so, many of us struggle with anxiety, depression, and overthinking, but there is a way out. Although mental illness can be a physical or chemical issue that requires medicine or counseling, there's another component to it – spiritual warfare.

Scripture reminds us that there is a spiritual war waged against us. The enemy could be lying to you at any minute, and you could believe that lie. Eventually, you build thought patterns and toxic spirals around that lie. I’ve had to find ways to get myself out of those toxic spirals over the years.

These are the first three steps you can take to untangle all the thoughts and feelings that come with overthinking:

1.  Write it down.

If my mind is spinning to a point where I can't process my thoughts with someone, I write down whatever is worrying me. I write a list of all the things I'm worried about. Sometimes just putting my thoughts somewhere helps my brain rest. This way, I know I can return to the list in a more organized way.

Writing allows you to untangle all the different thoughts and feelings you’re going through. This is the time to set out the chaos of it all, whether it's on your phone, a piece of paper, or a journal.

2.  Process it with someone.

Talk to someone about what is worrying you. Find someone who’s a safe space for you, whether it's a coworker, a friend, or your mom.

It helps to have someone who understands that you sometimes don’t need them to fix the problem. Rather, you call them because you need to process it.

This is exactly what David did in the Psalms. He's writing and singing these beautiful songs, and so much of it is his own way of getting to the hope and promises of God. But to get there, he has to untangle his struggle by saying it out loud.

3.  Pray

Prayer doesn’t always mean kneeling at the altar or in your room with your eyes closed. It can happen amidst people. Prayer is about talking directly to God, whatever setting you’re in.

Those conversations you're having with your friends happen in the presence of God because He’s always with you. God has heard and processed all of this with you. So, you can give that conversation to Him as a prayer. I’ve seen this in my life.

When I process my thoughts with friends, I get God's perspective as we come to the end of that conversation. God continues to lead me, even in the sharing of my worries with people I feel safe with.

God is in it with you, whether or not you call on Him. However, calling on Him is a wonderful reminder that He is with you. I believe in the power of God to save our souls and change our lives. I've seen him do this for other people, and I have seen Him do this in me. All it takes is prayer.

Regaining control of your mind

We are given the power to take every thought captive. Paul tells us that we have the power to destroy strongholds. The lie fed to us by the devil adds up over time, leading to negative thoughts. These negative thoughts build strongholds that change our brain chemistry.

I believe in medicine and counseling, and I don’t think you can simply change your thoughts and be out of mental illness all of a sudden. But I absolutely believe that training our thoughts can eventually change our brain chemistry over time. 

This begins with the knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ has given us power and authority over our thoughts. For most of my life, I didn't realize that I had any authority over my thoughts. I was a victim to my mind, and this is the case for many people.

Every lie you have believed, and every fear, worry, and anxiety you have had are all opinions raised against the knowledge of God. If our knowledge of God were full and complete, we would never fear. Fear is of the devil. You might be teetering on the edge of giving up your faith because of that fear, but you can still fight.

God loves you and is fighting for you. Scripture reminds us that we have the power to destroy the opinions raised in our minds against the knowledge of God. Paul says we take every thought captive to obey Christ. That's how we change our minds.

Our minds are the crux of how we live, who we love, and what we do with our lives. Our minds hold the power and key to our lives. And so, taking captive of our thoughts is central to our very existence. We must actively fight to believe truth and fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

Jesus sets before us this call to single-mindedness. He calls us to complete consumption of God, His love for us, and His goodness over us. As we fixate on Him, the things of this earth grow strangely dim. This is how we change.

We have passively allowed the devil to tell us whatever he wants, and this must be the end of it. We will find more joy, freedom, grace, and peace as we continue to do war with this part of our lives.

The sum of our lives will be rooted in what we think about. We think thousands of thoughts a day. And yet, we barely notice those thoughts. Today, I implore you to start writing down your thoughts. Notice if most of them are negative. Only then can you untangle the negativity and regain control of your mind.

We can win this war. We are looking at more freedom in our generation than previous generations have seen. That freedom will happen in our individual lives as we begin to believe the truth so clearly set for us in Scripture.

Jennie’s book, ‘Get Out of Your Head’ is an incredibly helpful and transformational resource for those struggling with fear, anxiety, depression, overthinking, and other issues affecting mental health. You can get your copy right here and everywhere books are sold. There is an entire season of the ‘Made For This’ podcast based on the book, and you can listen to it here.