From the space between send and reply, this is Overthinking the Awesome with David Cosgrove. Welcome back. You're thinking too much. Good. So am I. Let's put that big brain of yours to work. Before we get started, want to give a quick thanks to this episode's sponsor, Westwood Provisions, handmade candles out of Simsbury, Connecticut. When I'm recording or writing, the right atmosphere matters. These folks get that. Connect with Westwood Provisions on Instagram and Facebook. Tell them that the Overthinker sent you. So, last episode we talked about the big reframe. The awesome. Your overthinking brain isn't broken. It's powerful. It just needs better direction. Today, we're getting tactical, because knowing you can redirect your thoughts is one thing. Actually catching them before they spiral, that's the skill. Let's talk about the click. There's a moment, right before your brain hijacks itself where you can actually feel it starting. It's subtle. The tiny internal click. A tightening in your chest, a faint hum behind your ears, the feeling of a mental engine revving up, preparing for a familiar journey into the land of what-ifs and should-haves. For years, decades, I didn't notice it. One second I was fine, sipping my coffee. The next, I was forty, fifty tabs deep into a worry safari convinced that a typo in an email would lead to my complete and utter social ruin. Then one day, I caught the click. I was halfway through replaying an awkward interaction, my brain helpfully providing slow motion replays from multiple angles, when I thought, hold on, what if I could steer this thing? Let's get into the technique. Here's what I want you to practice. Step one, notice the physical sensation. Before the thought spiral starts, your body knows. Tight shoulders, shallow breath, jaw clenching, that sudden urge to check your phone for no reason. Those are your cues. Step two name it. When you feel that click, say something to yourself, out loud if you can. Oh, that's the spiral warming up or just click. That simple label interrupts the autopilot. Step three. Redirect immediately. Ask yourself, what's the awesome version of this thought? Don't wait. Don't argue with the negative thought. Just pivot. If your brain says, everybody probably thinks I'm an idiot encounter with, what if they were actually impressed? Same energy, better direction. Here's why it works. This isn't just feel good advice. There's science here. Your brain runs on patterns. It's a creature of habit. And it doesn't care whether those patterns help you or hurt you. It just wants to repeat them because repetition is efficient and easy. When you catch the click and redirect, you're creating a new pattern. Every time you do it, you're laying new neural tracks. You're teaching your brain that this moment, this awesome, is a choice point, not a cliff edge. Do it enough times and you'll start redirecting automatically. That initial spiral doesn't just disappear. You just get faster at catching it. So here's your homework. For the next 24 hours, just notice. Don't try to fix anything yet. Just see if you can catch that initial click, that moment before that spiral of doom takes over. Name it. Remember what we call it. The awesome. Observe it. Get curious about it. Because awareness is the first move. And you just made it. This has been Overthinking the Awesome. I'm David Cosgrove. Stay safe out there and remember, your mind isn't too much. You're just learning how to play it. If this episode resonated with you, the book goes even deeper. Overthinking the Awesome How to Turn Anxiety, Spiraling, and Self Doubt into Clarity and Confidence is available on Amazon and Audible. And if you want to share your journey, reach out. I'm at DavidCosgrove.com. Thanks for listening.