Instant Genius How to break free from the negative cycle of overthinking
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Jan 26, 2026 Dr Jessamy Hibberd, clinical psychologist and best-selling author of The Overthinking Cure, explores why our minds loop into negative thinking. She discusses evolutionary roots of worry, common rumination traps like self-criticism and social comparison, and how avoidance and narrowed attention keep us stuck. Practical topics include mindfulness, journaling, and building confidence through action.
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Cringing At Old Moments
- Many people suddenly recall an embarrassing moment years later and ruminate on it long after others have moved on.
- Jessamy Hibberd describes this as the brain trying to protect you by replaying scenarios in minute detail.
Unfair Comparisons Inflate Self-Criticism
- Comparison is automatic and skewed by cherry-picking others' best bits and a massively larger comparison pool via social media.
- Hibberd calls it unfair and a disguised form of self-criticism that feeds overthinking.
Grow Confidence By Taking Action
- Build confidence by facing challenges and accumulating evidence that you cope and learn.
- Jessamy Hibberd advises using action to disprove anxious predictions and grow self-knowledge.
