Podcast Summary: "Reset Rumination & Overthinking Quickly With Mindfulness Based Therapy Tools"

Podcast: Take Out Therapy: End Overthinking & Overwhelm for Empathic High Achievers
Host: Rebecca Hunter, MSW
Date: October 14, 2025
Duration: ~10 minutes (Mini Session)

Episode Overview

In this concise and supportive mini session, therapist Rebecca Hunter delves into the rapid reset of rumination and overthinking using mindfulness-based therapy. Aimed at empathic high-achievers grappling with stress, overthinking, and overwhelm—especially when confronted with the suffering of others—Rebecca offers actionable tools and a gentle weekly challenge. The episode explores the crucial difference between thinking and true presence, equipping listeners to become more grounded, compassionate, and peaceful.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding the Trap of Overthinking and Rumination

Identifying the Problem:
- Overthinking emerges easily when we’re uncomfortable, especially regarding others’ hardships.
- "Isn't it hard when the people that we care about aren't thriving?... When we're uncomfortable, we overthink. The brain starts rumination." (02:15)
Cognitive Complications:
- Rumination complicates situations, causing emotional exhaustion and unnecessary “drama.”
- Awareness is not the same as thinking; presence brings greater ease.

2. The Difference Between Thinking and Being Present

Quoting Wisdom:
- “A wise man once said, thinking is not awareness. Awareness is deeper. And I totally agree.” (01:20)
Rebecca’s Perspective:
- When we’re “stuck in cognition,” we make things more complicated.
- Presence means being willing to simply “be in the situation,” rather than trying to fix or solve through thinking.

3. The Mindfulness Reset: Noticing and Redirecting

First Step: Notice
- Cultivate the skill to distinguish between thinking and present awareness.
- “The hardest thing is to notice what’s happening... learn to discern when you’re having a lot of thinking and see it for what it is.” (04:35)
Second Step: Willingness to Redirect
- Overthinking is compelling; the brain “drags us along,” but intentional redirection is possible.
- “You have to be willing to leave the thinking that your brain is so intent on doing and can actually be quite addictive.” (05:10)

4. Practical Tool: Planned Thinking Time

Set Boundaries on Overthinking:
- Make an appointment to deal with distressing thoughts later, freeing up present-moment focus.
- “Just planning to think about something later and not do it at any other time.” (06:05)
How to Do It:
- “When it is thinking time…do some writing or even talk aloud to yourself. If you ever drive by me and I’m in my car, that’s what I’m doing... using my planned thinking time.” (06:30)
The Benefit:
- Boundaries help keep real life and anxious “mind space” separate.

5. The Weekly Challenge: Re-Entering Presence

Anchor to the Senses:
- When overwhelmed, redirect attention to sensory experience:
  - Notice what you see
  - Slow your breathing
  - Tune in to smells, sounds, air on skin
- “Use your eyes to see what’s in the room. Use your air to slow everything down a bit and notice what’s happening. Really hone in on details.” (08:15)
Result:
- Training your brain not to think excessively by consistently giving it a different job—being present.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Rebecca on the Addictive Nature of Thinking:
- “Thinking, it’s very exciting. The brain likes to do it and it'll drag us along, if we allow it.” (05:15)
On Setting Mental Boundaries:
- “You have to create boundaries around when we’re going to think about difficult things and when we’re going to be present in our lives.” (06:20)
On Redirecting to Sensory Awareness:
- “Feel the air on your skin, smell the smell in the air, and listen to what’s happening around you.” (08:30)

Important Segment Timestamps

[01:20] – “Thinking is not awareness. Awareness is deeper.”
[02:15] – Overthinking as a reaction to others’ hardships.
[04:35] – Noticing and naming the thinking process.
[05:15] – The excitement and addiction of thought loops.
[06:05] – Introducing planned thinking time.
[08:15] – Challenge: anchor in the senses to return to presence.
[08:30] – Practicing detailed sensory awareness.

Tone & Approach

Rebecca’s delivery is compassionate, relatable, and gently humorous. She shares personal examples, validates listeners’ experiences with overthinking, and frames the mindfulness reset as a doable, non-intimidating challenge: “It’s a pretty simple challenge that, when practiced, actually teaches your brain not to think so darn much.” (08:40)

Actionable Takeaway

This week, notice when your mind is caught up in repetitive thinking. Pause, redirect to your present environment, and anchor into your senses. If needed, schedule ‘thinking time’ so worries don’t take over your day.

Rebecca invites listeners to reach out and share if the tool helps, nurturing community and accountability.

Closing Thought

Rebecca’s advice is down-to-earth and immediately usable—an empowering resource for empathic high-achievers who are ready to step off the mental hamster wheel and step into presence.

Transcript

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In this episode, you'll discover a fast reset for your busy brain, and I challenge you to use this trick all week for a little more peace of mind. Welcome to Takeout Therapy Mini Session, a short episode to help empathic high achievers who are done with overworking, overthinking and overwhelm. I'm Rebecca Hunter, an anxiety expert and therapist here to help you calm your mind, reset your focus, and actually feel better. If you're ready to bring more presence and self compassion into your week, you're in the place. Find more tools anytime@takeouttherapy.com well hello there friend. As a quick, quick follow up to Friday's episode about reducing your overthinking, I thought it would be fun this week to issue a little bit of a challenge. You see, we have a problem. Most people have no idea the difference between thinking and being present. A wise man once said, thinking is not awareness. Awareness is deeper. And I totally agree. When we're thinking, we're stuck in cognition and frankly, we're making things way too complicated. When we're present, we're willing to be in the situation. I have to tell you, as I'm recording this podcast today, I've been struggling with something over the past week or two. Someone in my life is having a terribly tough time. Isn't it hard when the people that we care about aren't thriving? It's so uncomfortable. When it's not our business, it's not our problem, but our heart kind of hurts, you know? And frankly, this type of situation, whether we're talking about a parenting issue, a friendship issue, a partnership issue, or maybe a bigger family or world context issue, when we're uncomfortable with someone else's discomfort. When we're uncomfortable, we overthink. The brain starts rumination. And as I said, that makes things way more complicated. So in this quick episode, I'd like to remind you of a few little skills that will help you solve the rumination. Because honestly, if you don't change the radio station, you're going to keep hearing the same song. If there's a lot of words happening in your mind, you know that you're probably not able to be as present as it might help you to be. So making a shift to being present will actually just simplify things and stop rumination, which frankly stops a bunch of drama. Believe me, I've had to pull myself back from the brink of getting involved in someone else's business too many times to count in the last couple weeks. But I'm going to stay present and Be willing to show up in a situation and just talk about what's happening. For me, this is a really important part of shifting the dynamic between being present and being stuck in our heads. So I'll give you some instructions. I think the hardest thing is to notice what's happening. And that's an easy statement that makes it sound simple. But noticing what's happening means that you have to be able to learn to discern when you're having a lot of thinking and see it for what it is. Thinking, the workings of your mind. And then comes the hard part. You have to be willing to redirect your attention. You have to be willing to leave the thinking that your brain is so intent on doing and can actually be quite addictive. Thinking, it's very exciting. The brain likes to do it and it'll drag us along if we allow it. We have to be willing to redirect the brain in order to stop rumination. One easy way that I tell my clients to do this is to plan for thinking time. You know when you're going through a difficult situation and it hogs up all your mind space and exhausts you? Yeah, this is a good opportunity to just plan, to think about it later, meaning you create boundaries. You know when your partner or someone you care about wants to talk with you about something difficult and you tell them, I can't talk to you about this right now, but we can talk about it later. That's kind of what I mean by this. Just planning to think about something later and not do it at any other time. And when it is thinking time, what I would recommend is not just thinking, meaning keeping it all internal, but rather to maybe do some writing or even talk aloud to yourself. If you ever drive by me and I'm in my car, that's what I'm doing. I'm using my planned thinking time. Yeah, I probably look like a mad woman, but who cares, right? We have to create boundaries around when we're going to think about difficult things and when we're going to be present in our lives. Thinking is a brain based activity and being present is done with your whole body and your heart in a way. This way to make the shift is very, very easy. All I want you to do when you notice that you're thinking a lot is focus on slowing your breath down and slowing your thoughts down. So this week it's a very simple challenge that I have for you. Be willing to redirect when your brain is being overactive. Enter your present environment. Use your eyes to see what's in the room. Use your air to slow everything down a bit and notice what's happening. Really hone in on details. Feel the air on your skin, smell the smell in the air, and listen to what's happening around you. It's a pretty simple challenge that, when practiced, actually teaches your brain not to think so darn much. So good luck with it and if you find it helpful, reach out and let me know. That's your mini session for today. Thanks so much for spending your time with me. I really appreciate you being here and doing this work. Stay tuned for another episode on Friday. As always, while Takeout therapy is a great educational resource, get the level of support that you need for your situation. Head to takeouttherapy.com to check out all of my resources. Until next time, take really good care of yourself, friend.