"I think too much" is true and useless — it's too broad to do anything with. Overthinking isn't one loop; it's four, and each one keeps you stuck a different way. This names the one that mostly runs your head, so you stop fighting the whole thing and start working the part that's actually yours.
1 Score the four loops
Read each line and rate how true it feels, 1 (not me) to 5 (exactly me). Your highest column is the loop you mostly run.
The Researcher — "I don't have enough information yet."
The Ruminator — "Let me go back and process that again."
The Catastrophizer — "This is going to go badly, let me show you how."
The Paralyzed — "I can see every option and I can't pick any of them."
2 Your primary loop
Your scores fill in as you answer above. The highlighted card is your primary loop — the one that runs your head most of the time.
The Researcher
0/15
You answer doubt by gathering — one more article, one more opinion — and the moment to decide never quite arrives because there's always more to read.
The Ruminator
0/15
You replay what already happened — the conversation, the mistake, the look on their face — turning it over for a meaning that's already gone cold.
The Catastrophizer
0/15
You run the worst outcome in full detail, then the one under it, building a tower of what-ifs the present moment never earns.
The Paralyzed
0/15
You hold all the paths at once, each with its own case, and the holding itself becomes the thing that stops you moving.
Answer all twelve statements above to see which loop runs your head — and where to go next.
3 Where does it run loudest?
One loop rarely fires everywhere equally. Look at your top column, then think across three rooms of your life — work, the people close to you, and the small daily stuff (emails, plans, what to eat). Name the one where this loop runs loudest.
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Next in this pack: The loop caught in the act — map one real recent loop in full so you can see the pattern before it resets.
For personal reflection and growth. This worksheet is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care.