Overthinking vs. Anxiety: How to Know the Difference

Many people who seek therapy, whether in Melbourne or online from other parts of Australia, come with a common question: am I just overthinking, or is this anxiety? It is an important distinction because while the two are closely related, understanding the difference can shape how you approach healing and emotional regulation.

Overthinking usually shows up as repetitive, analytical thinking. It might sound like replaying conversations, imagining worst-case scenarios, second-guessing your choices, or trying to mentally solve every possible outcome before making a decision. Overthinking can feel exhausting, but it often feels somewhat within your control. You might be stuck in loops of thinking, but you are still grounded enough to know it is happening.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a deeper emotional and physiological experience. Anxiety is not just a thought process. It involves a full-body activation of your nervous system. Your heart races, your breath becomes shallow, your muscles tighten, and your mind jumps ahead to imagined threats or dangers. Anxiety feels more overwhelming than overthinking because it triggers your fight-or-flight response and can be difficult to soothe with logic alone.

In therapy, part of the work is learning to tune into your body as well as your mind. Many clients initially come to therapy describing themselves as "overthinkers," only to discover that beneath the racing thoughts is a nervous system stuck in a state of hyperarousal. Others discover that their habit of overthinking is actually a coping strategy to try to control the uncertainty that anxiety creates.

Mindfulness-based therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and somatic practices are all powerful ways to begin separating from overthinking and calming the anxious body. Together in therapy, we focus on recognising the early signs of anxiety, learning how to interrupt the cycle of worry, and developing emotional regulation skills that restore a sense of calm and clarity.

Whether you are experiencing overthinking, anxiety, or both, therapy offers practical tools for understanding your mind and body’s responses. You learn to recognise when you are trying to "think your way" out of a feeling and how to return to grounding techniques that bring real relief. This process is not about eliminating thoughts or feelings but about shifting the relationship you have with them.

In my Melbourne psychology practice and online therapy sessions across Australia, I see how transformative it is when clients start to distinguish between thinking and feeling, between control and connection. You can learn to step out of the endless loops of thought and meet your inner experience with more compassion, awareness, and choice.

If overthinking or anxiety is affecting your mental health, your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to feel at ease, therapy can help. You do not have to stay trapped in cycles of worry or fear. Support is available, and healing is possible.