Thing about this advice is...it's not a solution that you plug in. You know, like, plugging in a toaster to turn bread into toast? There's no such thing as a solution you plug in to turn overthinking into relaxation. Every time you fixate on the HOW, see it for what it is -- a desire for some method you can plug into your life.

I don't think it works like that. It's not a plug, it's a practice. Like tasting is a practice. It's something you learn to do by doing over and over and over. And failing at it over and over. Even today I can't EXACTLY tell if the salt level in a dish is perfect. But I've practiced so much that I'm right more than I'm not. And I'm definitely right more times than I was when I started cooking. You know what I mean?

Just my 2 cents. I'm an overthinker. When I find myself caught in a "I need to control this outcome" spiral these days, I just "play at" relaxing. No method. Just honest trying and seeing what happens. Fuck around and find out, but in a positive way haha. Deep breaths. Noticing my anxious thoughts come and go. Talking to someone about it. Listening to music. Telling myself I'll be okay even if things go wrong. Taking a walk. Some HOW or the other works. And each time I'm practicing "exiting the spiral." The more you exit the spiral, the easier it gets to exit the spiral. With whatever HOW that situation might call for.