Finding the Space Between: How Mindfulness Helps You Step Out of Overthinking and Into Clarity

By Peter Walker

You’re lying in bed, exhausted but wired. The day plays on repeat in your head - what you said, what you didn’t say, what still needs to be done. You’re present, but not really there. The body is still, but the mind keeps sprinting.

This is what many people refer to as overthinking. In psychology, this experience is more precisely described as rumination or repetitive negative thinking - persistent, often intrusive thoughts that loop without resolution. 

While it might feel productive - like you’re solving, preparing, preventing - what it often delivers is exhaustion, paralysis, and disconnection. So, what’s the alternative? How do you interrupt the loop, rather than spiral further into it?

Mindfulness therapy offers one way through. Not by emptying the mind or forcing calm - but by shifting how we relate to our thoughts in the first place.

Rather than being swept away by a flood of internal chatter, mindfulness creates a moment of pause - a space between stimulus and response. And in that space, we regain access to choice, perspective, and presence.

Overthinking Is a Mental Habit - Not a Personal Failing

We often treat thinking as the solution to everything: if we analyse more, plan better, rehearse, or replay what happened, we’ll feel more in control. But the science tells a different story.

When thought becomes repetitive, rigid, or future-focused, it loses its usefulness. Instead of clarity, we get rumination. Instead of resolution, we get anxiety.

The nervous system stays activated, heightening our senses and physical state - and our perception of choice disappears. 

Mindfulness introduces something radically simple: a moment of awareness.

As Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Mindfulness helps us reclaim that space. When we create space, we create possibility. And from that possibility comes change - not through force, but through clarity. It sounds small, but that moment - that pause - is where the shift begins.

Over time, that pause becomes a pattern, and in that pattern, we move from autopilot to intentional living.

Why This Works: The Evidence Behind the Practice

Mindfulness is not just a feel-good concept. In fact, as a practice, it is more than 3,000 years old, with roots in Eastern philosophy. It’s backed by decades of research in cognitive neuroscience and psychology, demonstrating mindfulness’s benefits. A landmark review by Keng, Smoski, and Robins (2011) found that mindfulness practices contribute significantly to psychological health in areas such as:

• Supporting emotional regulation and resilience

• Reducing rumination and anxiety

• Enhancing attention and focus

• Improving stress response through nervous system regulation

And perhaps most powerfully, mindfulness builds psychological flexibility - the capacity to stay grounded in the present moment while still acting in alignment with your values, even in the face of discomfort.

Mindfulness isn't always a standalone approach - it can also be a tool.  When integrated thoughtfully within psychological treatment frameworks such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), it becomes a powerful support for change.

Within the clinical practice, we might start with:

• Noticing the breath while emotions arise

• Bringing awareness to body sensations during distress

• Practising present-moment focus during everyday activities

• Gently observing critical thoughts without buying into them

• Noticing the tightness in your jaw during a tense conversation - and softening it

• Develop the capacity to sit more comfortably with a tolerate unpleasant but unavoidable emotions

This is mindfulness in motion, and research shows that even small moments like these can begin to reshape neural pathways, helping reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and build psychological flexibility over time.

The beauty of mindfulness lies in its adaptability. Whether someone is navigating anxiety, burnout, or emotional overload, the practice can be tailored to suit their specific and unique needs - quietly reshaping the way they relate to themselves and the world around them.

A Few Questions to Sit With

Mindfulness doesn’t ask you to be calm. It asks you to be aware. It doesn’t eliminate struggle, but it transforms the way you hold it.

If you’re curious about where to begin, consider one of the following reflections:

• What’s one moment today when I could pause, even briefly?

• How do I tend to react when my thoughts feel loud or critical?

• Can I notice my discomfort without needing to fix it right away?

These are not quick fixes. They are small openings, and in those openings, something shifts.

We begin to see that thoughts are just thoughts. Feelings are just feelings. And between them and our actions, there’s a space.

That space is where freedom lives.

REFERENCES

Keng, S.-L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006

Disclaimer: While we hope this information is helpful, it's important to remember that everyone's situation is unique. If you're concerned that you might be experiencing any of the issues outlined in this blog, it's always a good idea to chat with a qualified mental health professional who can provide personalised guidance.