Someone recently asked me, “Do you have a book on this?” She was looking for help with overthinking, and the honest answer is no, not yet. I’m praying I will within the next couple of years.
But I could talk about this ALL DANG DAY, and I’ve written a lot about it. So until there’s a book, this is the next best thing: everything I’ve learned about overthinking as a Christian, all in one place.
I’m not writing this from the other side of having it figured out. I have OCD, I still spiral, and therapy and Jesus have both helped so much. This is a journey, not a finish line.
What Overthinking Looks Like
My brain doesn’t stick to one flavor of spiral. For me, it usually shows up in one of three ways:
- The false narrative: my brain takes one meaningless thing (like my husband taking a breath) and builds a whole story out of it.
- The worst-case scenario: my brain builds a disaster out of nothing, piece by piece, and hands it to me as fact.
- The replay: I go over the same situation again and again, sometimes for months or even years.
I tell the full stories behind each of these in How to Stop Overthinking as a Christian.
The Hamster Wheel
Here’s the picture I use for overthinking, and it’s the same one I use with my son.
Spiraling feels like climbing onto a hamster wheel. At first it seems manageable, like you’re just walking. But it speeds up fast, and suddenly you’re stuck, running just to keep from falling.
Sometimes the only way off is to yeet yourself right off of it. Yes, it’s going to hurt when you hit the ground, and you might scrape your knee. But hitting the ground still beats staying stuck on a wheel that’s only getting faster.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV).
That’s the contrast. A mind stayed on God versus a mind spinning loose on a wheel it can’t control.
Two Ways to Get Off the Wheel
Getting off the wheel looks different depending on the spiral. For me, it usually comes down to two kinds of responses, a practical one and a raw one. Neither is more spiritual than the other. They’re both me getting off the wheel.
The Practical Response
This is where I actually do something with the thought:
- Say it out loud. When my brain decided my husband was mad at me, I had to push myself to ask him if we were okay, even though staying stuck felt easier.
- Journal it out. Get it out of your head and onto paper so you can actually process it instead of talking in a loop.
- Move your body. Unfortunately, working out works. My mental health is always better when I’m lifting heavy and walking every day.
- Watch what you eat. I think food is warfare, and certain things change our behavior more than we realize.
- Make it a discipline. Build the habit and put it in your calendar instead of waiting until you feel like it.
The Raw Response
Sometimes there’s no tidy step to take. Sometimes I turn on worship music and let it interrupt the noise. And sometimes, honestly, I just burst into tears and ask God why my brain works the way it does.
God is big enough to handle that. He’s big enough for your anger, your doubt, and your frustration.
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul” (Psalm 94:19, ESV).
When Prayer Doesn’t Make It Stop
The woman who asked about a book also said she prays about it so much, but sometimes it feels like nothing is changing. I’ve been there, and I wrote a whole post for her: When Prayer Doesn’t Make the Overthinking Stop.
The short version is that there’s a big difference between praying and rehearsing your worry at God. Real prayer is handing it over, again and again. And God is a God of action. A lot of the time, while we’re waiting on Him, He’s waiting on us to get up and do the thing.
When It’s More Than Overthinking
Some of you are dealing with anxiety, OCD, trauma, or something else that prayer and good habits alone won’t fix. Getting help does not mean you don’t trust God enough.
I have a therapist, and she has brought me through so much. Sometimes God puts a really good therapist or doctor in your life, and that’s Him answering your prayer.
Bible Verses for Overthinking
These are the verses I come back to over and over when my brain won’t quit:
- “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV).
- “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV).
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV).
- “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV).
- “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul” (Psalm 94:19, ESV).
- “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, ESV).
- “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27, ESV).
Keep Reading
If you want to go deeper, here’s where I’ve written about overthinking, worry, and stewarding your mind:
- How to Stop Overthinking as a Christian
- When Prayer Doesn’t Make the Overthinking Stop
- 5 Ways to Surrender Your Worries to God
- How to Focus in Prayer When Your Brain Won’t Cooperate
- 10 Bible Verses About Trusting God in Uncertain Times
- What Are the Shoes of Peace? Armor of God Part 4
- Stewarding Your Mind and Emotions: A Biblical Guide
If you need somewhere to actually put these thoughts instead of letting them spin, my free Prayer Journal has prompts built for exactly this.
You’re Not Alone on the Wheel
If your brain does this too, you’re not broken. The fact that you struggle doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means you have to do things differently.
Bring it to Him, even messy, even mid-spin. He’s not waiting for you to land gracefully first.
