The body-brain connection
Our bodies are connected to our brain, and vice versa, through our nervous system.
I often explain to clients that ‘where your thoughts go, your body goes along for the ride’. If you are having scary or anxious thoughts, you will start to feel physical sensations in your body, which is a common cycle seen in overthinking and anxiety.
Why thoughts feel real
If you enjoy watching scary movies, have you wondered what you are experiencing and why? Essentially, your brain doesn’t know you are watching a scary movie. It thinks the frightening scene is actually happening to you or around you. That’s why you start to feel tense and on edge as the suspense builds, and feel startled when something suddenly appears, even though you know you are watching a movie.
Imagination is also very powerful. It is like a movie going on in your mind. When you are having worry thoughts, you are imagining a situation. This is your mind’s version of a scary movie. When you are having anxious, worrisome thoughts, your brain doesn’t know you are ‘thinking’ about something that may happen. It thinks it is actually happening, and you will feel symptoms of anxiety. The feeling of anxiety in response to the imagined further intensifies and exaggerates the fear linked to that situation. These processes lie at the core of overthinking and anxiety.
Our psychology Surrey Hills clinic supports clients who experience this physical-emotional feedback loop. Insightful Living Co. Explores holistic psychology in Melbourne with sessions designed to focus on nervous system regulation.
“The feeling of anxiety and fear can lead to an error in the assessment of the situation being imagined. Fear is a strong emotion; it drives behaviour and action away from the threat. It is hard not to listen to it”
Effects of overthinking and anxiety
If you then combine the intense fear or anxiety with rehearsing the scenario, which is rumination, the fear and anxiety can intensify. It strengthens avoidance and, in the extreme, can even cause a phobia-like response. This reinforces the patterns of overthinking and anxiety, which can make daily experiences feel overwhelming.
Why do we even experience fear and anxiety?
Why do we have a fear-sensing fight-or-flight system? This reaction and avoidance response is the system working as it has been designed.
“Remember- your mind always wants to keep you safe. The challenge is that it can get tripped up on what it deems to be safe”
Consider our early ancestors, who were very vulnerable to their environment. They lived in harsh conditions with threats everywhere. Climate and weather, strong animals, no lights to see in the dark, walking as the only mode of transportation, and self-defence as their only protection.
It was a necessary, lifesaving skill to be able to assess the weather, notice sounds, sights and smells, and remember where they had been and what had happened in previous hunting expeditions. Without fear, anxiety, and the ability to forecast danger based on prior experiences, they might've ventured back towards a lion's den or snake’s nest or found themselves caught in a lightning storm with no shelter. Modern overthinking and anxiety often stem from this kind of ancient wiring.
Insightful Living Co. focuses on holistic psychology in Melbourne and Surrey Hills, working with clients to understand how old survival patterns shape current emotional responses.
Helpful vs problematic rumination
Problem-solving requires information gathered from previous experiences and applying it to a new, future-based situation. Through this process, we can develop various solutions. We could describe this as ‘healthy or helpful rumination’ because it helps us move forward.
Problematic rumination occurs when we become stuck in a loop, rehearsing a scenario that keeps us paralysed and prevents us from enriching our life experiences. This mental loop often drives overthinking and anxiety.
We don’t live in the same high-risk environment as our ancestors, but our minds don’t know that. When we ruminate on a situation, our mind believes it is happening right there and then. This is a key pattern behind overthinking that we often explore with clients in therapy.
Support for managing rumination and anxiety
If you find yourself caught in cycles of rumination and worry, know that you don’t have to stay stuck. Our psychologists at Insightful Living Co. can work with you to understand how your mind and body interact, and help you develop practical strategies to quiet overthinking and anxiety. This is a core focus for our holistic psychology in Melbourne. Reaching out is the first step towards building confidence, clarity, and peace of mind.
About the author
Anita Missiha (Principal Psychologist at Insightful Living Co)
Anita Missiha is a Principal Psychologist and registered member of the APS, with a particular interest in anxiety, depression, eating concerns, and work-related issues.