Escape the Overthinking Trap | 15 Best Books for Overthinkers

We all have that time when we worry about work, family, health, relationships, and many other things, but sometimes worrying too much could result in overthinking and depression.

Overthinking—we all must have heard this word—is an unhealthy habit that causes more stress by focusing on the negative aspects that could be dwelling on the past, not perfectly living the present, and worrying about the future.

Overthinking is a type of problem in which you ruminate on an issue without thinking of logical solutions, and it’s like a broken record of negativity that repeatedly gets replayed in your mind.

Overthinking is a habit that can’t be easily broken as it creates a vicious cycle of negative thoughts that makes you feel like you’re going deeper and deeper, which could lead to anxiety, stress, and depression. Various strategies could help you overcome overthinking, such as reading books.

So, here is the list of the best books for overthinkers.

1. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE

Written by Bessel Van Der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score is a masterpiece and New York Times bestseller that will introduce you to various innovative treatments, including sport, yoga, mindfulness exercises, neurofeedback, and traumatic stress. Here, the author has tried his best to use his personal experience as a trauma specialist to highlight how humans adapt to traumatic experiences by using neuroscience and alternative treatments to review the brain.

2. UNWINDING ANXIETY: NEW SCIENCES SHOWS HOW TO BREAK THE CYCLES OF WORRY AND FEAR TO HEAL YOUR MIND

Written by Judson Brewer, Unwinding Anxiety is his best-selling book in the New York Times as well as the Wall Street Journal. You all know that overthinking and worrying continuously is now a habit for most people, and it’s addictive. This book will teach you how to break bad habits and live a happy life. Through deep research into addiction and anxiety, Brewer has written this book as a practical guide to stopping worrying using some useful techniques.

3. THE WORRY TRICK

Written by David A. Carbonell, The Worry Trick is the ideal book for you if you are an avid worrier, as in this book, the clinical psychologist has mentioned science-backed and various helpful tips about how you could stop worrying. This book includes various evidence-based psychological treatments based on acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy; hence, it is easy to understand.

4. BRAIN FOOD: THE SURPRISING SCIENCE OF EATING FOR COGNITIVE POWER

Written by Lisa Mosconi, Brain Food is among the best books for overthinkers. Mosconi has shed light on brain health from a unique and attractive perspective covering microbiology, neuroscience, nutrition, and genomics in this amazing book. Her research on cognitive health links diet to the functioning of the brain, explains why you’re always tired, and provides you with many recipes to eliminate brain fog.

5. UNF*CK YOUR BRAIN

Written by Faith G. Harper, Unf*ck Your Brain is a book that uses science to overcome anxiety, anger, freakouts, triggers, or depression. In this amazing book, the author has combined her unique experiences with an engaging voice that will help you understand the most recent neuroscience research in a very easy and understandable form. This book will teach you what’s happening in your mind and how to deal with it.

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6. ELIMINATE NEGATIVE THINKING: HOW TO OVERCOME NEGATIVITY, CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS, AND STOP OVERTHINKING

Written by Derick Howell, Eliminate Negative Thinking is an inspiring book that will shift your focus toward positive thinking, radical self-love, and self-acceptance. Through this book, Howell has helped you identify the sources of worrying, overthinking, and negative self-talk, which helps you know about the aspects from a coaching perspective, along with their solutions and stress management techniques that will make you strong.

7. QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN’T STOP TALKING

Written by Susan Cain, Quiet is an amazing book that shows the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. The whole world seems to be full of extroverts. You could act like an extrovert in certain situations if you’re an introvert. This book will teach you everything regarding all this. In this captivating book, Susan explained the paradox between introverts and extroverts from different angles. She provided you with a quiz to determine your position.

8. RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN

Written by Joseph A. Annibali, Reclaim Your Brain is an appropriate book that will let you understand how to calm your thoughts, heal your mind, bring your life back to normal, and achieve peace of mind. Here, the author has provided various specific action plans that could help you stop overthinking, calm your busy brain, and finally reclaim your life with an implementable action plan.

9. GET OUT OF MY HEAD: INSPIRATION FOR OVERTHINKERS IN AN ANXIOUS WORLD

Written by Meredith Arthur, Get Out of My Head is truly an inspiration for overthinkers. Suppose you are facing problems like overthinking, anxiety, anger, stress, and perfectionism. In that case, this book is your cup of tea, as it is beautifully illustrated and packed with practical advice and thoughts to stop overcoming so that you can manage your anxiety. This is not a very big book; it’s just a condensed manual that could even fit in your palm, which is actually super innovative.

10. A MANUAL FOR LIVING

Written by Epictetus, A Manual for Living is a classic book that everyone could read, as it is one of the best self-help books. This manual is not so big, but after reading it, you will realize that it’s not less than any book consisting of hundreds of pages. This captivating book or manual is fully packed with wisdom and will teach you about great ideas and ways to achieve freedom to live a better life.

11. CHATTER: THE VOICE IN OUR HEAD, WHY IT MATTERS, AND HOW TO HARNESS IT

Written by Ethan Kross, Chatter is an amazing book that tells us about the inner voice we all hear in our heads. The inner voice could sometimes help us but could backfire as the negative chatter undermines your social life, health, and mood. Suppose your negative, anxious thoughts make you worried and unable to think positively. In that case, you should read this book, telling you how to calm your inner voice and stop negative thinking.

12. STILLNESS SPEAKS 

Stillness Speaks is written by Eckhart Tolle, who is the author of The Power of Now and the bestselling author of The New York Times. Tolle has again written this follow-up to his bestselling book. According to this book, his main message to the audience is that “living in the now is very congruent with that of any ancient philosophy.” By reading this book, you will understand the power of now, which also helps you eliminate past and future thoughts that cause overthinking.

13. POKE THE BOX

Written by Seth Godin, Poke the Box is one of the most amazing books for overthinkers, as the book is very influential in the niche market and the world as a whole. Whenever you think of starting something new, you must feel overwhelmed. Still, whatever it is, you must have enjoyed it a lot, so this book will teach you how to embark on your creative journey, think creatively, and begin acting instead of overthinking.

14. REWIRE: CHANGE YOUR BRAIN TO BREAK BAD HABITS, OVERCOME ADDICTIONS, AND CONQUER SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR

Written by Richard O’Connor, Rewire, as the name suggests, will help you rethink and change your normal functioning. This book will help you understand how bad habits and addictions work against you and ruin your life. It will teach you various ways that could be the way to get out of the spiral of bad habits like excessive worrying, overeating, procrastination, anger issues, and much more. This book is a fully-packed advice guide that will help you stop disruptive behaviors.

15. STOP OVERTHINKING: 23 TECHNIQUES TO RELIEVE STRESS, STOP NEGATIVE SPIRALS, DECLUTTER YOUR MIND, AND FOCUS ON THE PRESENT

Written by Nick Trenton, Stop Overthinking will teach you about the practical techniques that will help you stop overthinking and enjoy the present moment. Here, the author has tried his best and tapped into behavioral psychology to let you know what’s actually going on in your head. After knowing what’s going on in your head further, he has mentioned the ways of stress management. He has also mentioned various actionable advice to overcome stress, anxiety, and procrastination.

Conclusion

Overthinking is not a mental illness, it’s just a part of everyday life for which the symptoms could vary from person to person. If you are also an overthinker, you must read the books mentioned above; it could help you improve.