Headspace Studios.

Hi there, welcome to Radio Headspace Space. It's Dora.

The other night, I caught myself wide awake at 2 a.m. replaying a conversation I had earlier

in the day. At first, it was just one small thought. Did I say the wrong thing? But then my mind

ran wild. Suddenly, I was imagining all the ways that person might have taken it, rehearsing apologies

I hadn't needed yet, and even making up arguments that hadn't happened. By the time I became

aware of what I was doing, I had gone down ten different worst-case scenarios, and I was exhausted.

The wild part, I still didn't feel any closer

to clarity. This kind of mental spiral, what we often call overthinking, isn't just random.

Psychologists refer to it as rumination or cognitive looping. It's when our minds try to solve

uncertainty by thinking harder.

We rehearse, replay, and overanalyze, not because we want to suffer, but because it makes

us feel like we're staying in control.

The problem is, overthinking doesn't always lead to clarity.

It often leads to exhaustion, indecision, and anxiety.

Mindfulness invites us to trade control for presence,

to stop trying to figure it all out and instead tune into what's actually happening right now.

It's not about ignoring the problem.

It's about creating enough space from the noise to hear your own wisdom again.

I remember this one moment I had to make a big decision about a career opportunity. It looked good on paper, but something in me felt unsure.

Instead of listening to that, I started spiraling.

What if I regret not taking it?

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