When Your Thoughts Go on Repeat (and Refuse to Let You Off the Ride)
Our brains are incredible. They help us learn, problem-solve, create, and protect ourselves. And yet they can also be surprisingly unhelpful. We tend to believe almost everything we think, even when a part of us knows it doesn’t make logical sense.
We can think and think ourselves into exhaustion. We get pulled into mental loops that feel impossible to escape. And the more we try to “think our way out of it,” the deeper the loop seems to dig.
Sound familiar? It happens to nearly all of us, especially during times of stress, uncertainty, or transition.
Why Do Our Brains Do This?
It’s not because something is wrong with you. It’s because your brain is trying to help.
Negativity bias: Your brain scans for danger; it’s wired to notice what could go wrong more than what’s going well.
Well-worn neural pathways: We’re creatures of habit. Over time, repeated thoughts form “grooved” patterns in the brain. So when triggered, your brain simply follows the path it knows best. And, we tend to become so activated in our nervous system that we don’t have access to our pre-frontal cortex because we are in survival mode.
Problem-solving gone rogue: When something feels unresolved, your brain loops the thought in an attempt to solve it. Ironically, replaying it over and over only strengthens the loop and increases your stress. Each replay also leads you to gather evidence, even if it reinforces something untrue. All of this leads to doubt and more negative or ruminating thoughts.
So… How Do We Interrupt the Loop?
The good news: we can change these patterns. It doesn’t come from thinking harder; it comes from gently redirecting the brain and body.
A few powerful entry points:
Techniques like self-hypnosis and bilateral stimulation (similar to EMDR) can introduce a pause or “roadblock” in the loop, allowing your brain to travel down a new pathway.
Body-based grounding (breath, movement, sensation awareness) shifts activation patterns and calms the nervous system so new thoughts can emerge.
Challenging the thought with counter-evidence helps disrupt the belief structure, and with practice, rewires the loop.
Remember, loops are not a sign of failure. They’re a sign your brain is working hard to keep you safe, with the tools it has. Meeting ourselves with compassion and curiosity when this happens also helps. When we “argue with ourselves,” the loop continues.
The invitation is to give it new tools. And… to practice these tools until they become “baked in”. This is called neuroplasticity. This is science.
When we interrupt the loop, even gently, we create space for possibility, truth, and alignment. It’s not about suppressing thoughts, it’s about teaching your brain a different way.
Because you are not your loop. And you are allowed to rewrite the pattern.
If you would like a tool to use to begin to rebuild your thinking patterns, head over to www.klearwatercoaching.com/resources and you will find a lovely tool called “Shift the Narrative”. This tool was inspired by David Bayer and modified by me. I use it in my Fearlessly Aligned Leader program.
If you want to book a Discovery Call to learn more about some of the other tools, please do! Heck, they are free. What are you waiting for?
P.S. What would it be like to speak to yourself with loving words and to embrace compassion for yourself in the same way that you do for others?
Big love,
