Problem Solving or Spinning? The Test
Thirty-two ways to tell problem solving from spinning, with a simple test you can use any time.
Solving moves forward. Spinning goes round.
40 tips that really help
These ideas come from Chatter (Ethan Kross), Don’t Believe Everything You Think (Joseph Nguyen), The Untethered Soul (Michael Singer), and everyday practice. Pick one tip and try it today.
Ask: is this solving or spinning?
Problem solving moves toward a step you can take. Spinning repeats the same thoughts and feelings with no step at the end. The difference is simple: solving ends with an action.
After five minutes of thinking, write one action. If you cannot, you are spinning.
The three-question test
Ask: Am I getting new ideas? Do I feel clearer or tenser? Is there a next step? If the answers are no, tenser, none, you are spinning.
Run the test on your current worry.
Solving has a question you can answer
“What can I do about the bill this week?” can be answered. “Why does everything go wrong?” cannot. Make questions answerable.
Rewrite one vague question.
Solving has an end time
Set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes. If you are still circling when it rings, switch activity.
Set a timer for your next think.
Solving uses paper
Writing helps you see ideas and gaps. Thoughts in the head just bounce around.
Write the problem in one line.
Solving asks for facts
Facts are what you know. Guesses are what you imagine. Separate them into two lists.
Make a facts list.
Spinning feeds on "what if"
“What if they hate me? What if I lose my job?” are endless. Replace one “what if” with “what is”.
Change one phrase.
Solving asks "what is in my control?"
You control your effort, your words and your next step. You do not control other people’s thoughts or the future.
Circle what is in your control.
Spinning asks "why me?"
This leads nowhere. “What next?” leads somewhere.
Swap “why” for “what next”.
Check your body
Solving often feels calm and focused. Spinning feels tight, tense and restless.
Notice your breathing.
Check your emotions
If thinking leaves you more anxious, ashamed or angry, it is probably spinning.
Rate your feeling before and after.
Check the repetition
Are you saying the same sentence again? Repetition is the clearest sign of a loop.
Count repeats.
Check the time
If you’ve been thinking about the same thing for an hour with no result, change something.
Look at the clock.
Check the outcome
Ask what you hope to gain by thinking more. If nothing, stop.
Name the gain.
Choose the smallest next step
Even “send one email” or “look up one number” moves you forward.
Pick the smallest.
Make a pros and cons list once
Write it, review once, then decide. Rereading it again and again is spinning.
Decide after one review.
Use a decision rule
For example: “If I still want it after sleeping on it, I’ll do it.” Rules save energy.
Write a rule.
Phone a friend
A conversation with a calm friend can turn loops into solutions.
Call someone.
Ask an expert
If it’s a technical issue, ask a professional instead of guessing.
List questions.
Use a template
Problem, options, best option, first step, date. Fill it in on one page.
Make a template.
Scene: a work project
Break it into tasks, pick the first, start for twenty minutes.
Start now.
Scene: a relationship issue
Decide whether to talk. If yes, plan the first sentence.
Draft it.
Scene: a money worry
List income, bills and one change. Then review weekly.
Make a mini budget.
Scene: a health scare
Book the appointment. Waiting and wondering is spinning; the appointment is solving.
Call today.
Scene: a big move
List must-haves, compare options, set a decision date.
Set it.
Scene: a family conflict
Decide what you want and ask for it kindly.
Write one sentence.
Scene: a study problem
Plan study blocks, not panic.
Schedule two blocks.
Scene: a social mistake
Apologise if needed, then move on.
Send one line.
Scene: choosing a gift
Set a budget and a time limit.
Choose in ten minutes.
Scene: choosing a career
Test with small experiments: talk to people, try a short course.
Run one test.
Use the "good enough" rule
Seek a good enough option instead of the perfect one. Herbert Simon called this satisficing, and research suggests it makes people happier with decisions.
Pick good enough.
Use the "reversible?" check
If you can undo the decision, decide quickly. Only slow down for hard-to-reverse choices.
Ask: can I undo it?
Use the "10-10-10" view
How will you feel about this in ten minutes, ten months and ten years?
Answer all three.
Use a coin flip
Flip a coin; notice which side you hope for. Your hope tells you something.
Try once.
Use your values
Choose the option that fits what matters to you.
List three values.
Use an accountability friend
Tell someone what you’ll do and by when.
Send a message.
Celebrate decisions
A made decision is a relief. Enjoy it.
Mark the win.
Learn from outcomes
After you act, review once what you learned. Then stop.
Write a lesson.
Spinning ends when you change the channel
If the test says “spinning”, do something different for ten minutes: walk, wash dishes, call a friend. Come back to the problem afterwards with a fresher view.
Pick your channel-change activity.
Close with the test
Remember: if no next step appears, change the channel.
Keep the test handy.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.
“Am I getting closer to an answer?”
“What is the next concrete step?”
“This is spinning, so I will pause.”
“I will decide by Friday.”
“Who could help me with this?”
“I know what to do now.”
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
Ask the test questions
Write the problem
List options
Choose one step
Set a time limit
Stop if spinning
Take action
Further reading
- Chatter (Ethan Kross)
- Don’t Believe Everything You Think (Joseph Nguyen)
- The Untethered Soul (Michael Singer)
The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.
More lessons in “Stopping Overthinking”
Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.
← Previous: What Overthinking Really IsNext: Know Your Personal Triggers →
- What Overthinking Really Is
- Problem Solving or Spinning? The Test
- Know Your Personal Triggers
- The Late-Night Thinking Trap
- Why Your Brain Replays Bad Moments
- The Cost of Too Much Thinking
- Notice the Body Signs of a Spiral
- Name Your Inner Critic
- Ask "Is It True?"
- Spot the Thinking Traps
- Talk to Yourself Like a Friend
- Use Your Own Name in Self-Talk
- Write a Kinder Version of the Thought
- Stop Mind-Reading What Others Think
- Name Five Things You Can See
- Cold Water on Your Face
- Say "Stop" and Change the Channel
- The Long-Exhale Breath
- Stand Up and Move
- Count Back From One Hundred by Sevens
- Listen to One Song
- The Five-Minute Worry Window
- Write It Down and Close the Book
- Sort Worries: Can I Act on This?
- Make a Small Plan, Then Let Go
- Keep a Worry Notebook by Your Bed
- Zoom Out: Will This Matter in a Year?
- Share a Worry With a Friend
- Stop Replaying Embarrassing Moments
- Forgive Your Past Self
- Stop Rehearsing Arguments
- Decide Faster on Small Things
- Done Beats Perfect
- Make Peace With Not Knowing
- Ten Minutes of Quiet Each Day
- Move Your Body, Quiet Your Mind
- Protect Your Sleep
- Limit News and Scrolling
- Spend Time in Nature
- Be Here Now: Simple Mindfulness
