Mastering the ADHD Brain: 3 Tips to Stop Overthinking and Rumination

Three easy ways to halt the hamster wheel in your ADHD brain.

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As a woman with ADHD, I’ve battled the relentless cycle of overthinking. But I’ve learned to incorporate three techniques that have transformed my mental landscape.

Nothing groundbreaking here, but for ADHD brains, reminders on simple techniques like this can save us a lot of energy and angst.

Here’s how I’ve learned to quiet the chaos in my mind.

1. The Thought Interruption Technique: Breaking the Cycle

This is one of my favorite ways to stop my overactive brain. I can’t take credit for this technique, but it’s been a winner for me.

When you’re caught in a spiral of overthinking, try this:

1. Pause and take a deep breath.
2. Ask yourself, “If I had a thought right now, what would that thought be?”

This simple question acts like a pattern interrupt. It forces your mind to step outside the cycle of rumination and observe your thoughts objectively.

Often after using this approach, I don’t have any following thoughts for a bit, giving my brain that much-needed rest moment.

It works. I giggle every time I use it — it’s so simple yet effective.

2. The 2-Minute Rule: Action Beats Anxiety

One of the most frustrating things I deal with is anxiety around completing certain tasks. When I have several menial tasks I need to take care of, I start to feel anxious, and that can turn to rumination and negative feelings about not just “getting it done”.

So I keep this mantra close: Action is the antidote to anxiety.

Enter the 2-Minute Rule, a game-changer for ADHD minds prone to overthinking.

Here’s how it works:

1. Identify a task you’ve been procrastinating and ruminating about.
2. Ask yourself: “Can I do this in 2 minutes or less?”
3. If yes, do it immediately. If not, schedule it and possibly break it down into more…