Overthinking and Self Doubt: 3 Steps to Change the Story
Overthinking can turn a small moment into a story that quietly shapes your emotions, confidence, and relationships. In this episode, Kari explains why our brains naturally fill in the blanks when information is missing and why those assumptions often lean negative. You’ll learn a simple three-step process to interrupt the spiral, challenge the story you’re telling yourself, and choose a response that supports the life you actually want to create.
Why your brain fills in the blanks: When someone doesn’t respond or plans change, your brain quickly creates a story to explain the uncertainty
How beliefs shape what you notice: Just like suddenly seeing a car everywhere once you’re thinking about it, your brain filters for evidence that supports the beliefs you already hold about yourself.
The hidden danger of overthinking: When your mind searches for proof that you’re “not enough,” it begins interpreting neutral moments as confirmation, quietly shaping your emotions and reactions.
A simple 3-step process to stop the spiral: Learn how to notice the story you’re telling yourself, challenge the interpretation, and intentionally choose how you respond.
Using AI as a thinking tool: Instead of staying stuck in emotional loops, you can use AI prompts to separate facts from assumptions and explore healthier interpretations.
Stop the Spiral: Prompts to Break Overthinking Fast
When your mind starts filling in the blanks with worst-case stories, the key is to interrupt the pattern early. This simple three-step process helps you slow down your thinking, separate facts from assumptions, and intentionally choose how you respond.
The prompts below will guide you through each step so you can step out of overthinking and regain clarity.
Notice when you start feeling strong emotions that are causing interruptions in your day, lost sleep, or painful outbursts. It’s time to evaluate the story you are telling yourself. This prompt helps you slow down and identify the difference between what actually happened and the meaning your brain is attaching to it.
I’m feeling upset about a situation and I think I may be overthinking it. Here is what happened: [describe the situation].
Help me separate the objective facts from the story or assumptions I might be adding.
List:The facts that can be proven.
The interpretations or meanings I might be attaching to those facts.
Any emotional triggers you notice that could be influencing my interpretation.
Ask any questions that might help get to the root belief that will help challenge the story I have created.
Challenge it by asking “What else could be true?” to widen your perspective. Your brain tends to lock onto the explanation that fits your fear or insecurity first. This prompt helps you consider other explanations, including factors you may not be seeing.
I may be interpreting this situation too narrowly and I want to explore other possible explanations.
Here is the situation: [describe what happened].
Based only on the facts, help me brainstorm other possible explanations that could also be true.
Please include:
• Possible perspectives or motivations from the other person
• Details or context I might be overlooking
• Outside pressures or circumstances that could be influencing the situation
• Neutral or positive explanations that don’t assume rejection or failure
List at least 8–10 possible interpretations so I can widen my perspective.
Choose Your Story after exploring other possible explanations, the final step is deciding which story you want to operate from. The goal isn’t blind positivity—it’s choosing an interpretation that is fair, grounded in the facts, and doesn’t unnecessarily damage your confidence or your relationships. Use the prompt below to paste into your favorite AI chat tool:
I’ve brainstormed several possible explanations for a situation that upset me.
Here are the possible interpretations:
[paste the list of possibilities]
Please help guide me through choosing a healthier interpretation by asking me a few reflective questions.
Specifically:
Ask which explanations resonate most or seem most realistic to me and why
Help me identify any blind spots, assumptions, or distortions in my original interpretation
Point out where my first story may have been driven by fear, insecurity, or missing information
Help me create a balanced story that fits the facts, respects the other person’s perspective, and allows me to release unnecessary anger or pain
The goal is to help me form an interpretation that promotes understanding, protects my confidence, and supports healthier relationships moving forward.
Less overwhelm.
More clarity.
More time for the life you actually want.
At Mom Life Meets AI, I share mindset tools and simple AI strategies that help busy moms stop spinning their wheels and start moving forward.
If this resonated with you, share it with a friend who’s ready for that shift too.
Explore more at MomLifeMeetsAI.com