Improve Your Confidence and Stop Overthinking Things

We’ve all been there—lying awake at night replaying conversations, worrying about what we said, or cringing over something that happened years ago. Or maybe it happens at work: one small mistake, like sending an email with a typo, spirals into a whole day of questioning your worth.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Overthinking and confidence wobbles often go hand in hand—and the good news is, they can be worked through with a few simple strategies.

Why We Overthink at Night

Night-time is often when our brains finally get a chance to slow down. During the day, we’re busy, distracted, and rushing from one thing to another. Once we’re in bed, quiet and still, the mind grabs the opportunity to process everything that’s been pushed aside.

That’s why conversations replay in our heads and “what if” worries creep in. It’s not that you’re broken—it’s that your brain hasn’t had time to process.

Strategy One: The Worry Diary

A simple but powerful tool is the worry diary. Keep a notebook (or use your phone notes) by your bed. When the overthinking starts, write down your worries and tell yourself: “I’ll deal with this tomorrow.”

You can also schedule a “worry time” during the day—say, 4:00pm or lunchtime—where you check in with those thoughts. By the time that moment arrives, many worries will feel smaller or even irrelevant. The ones that do matter? You’ll have the energy and perspective to deal with them.

Strategy Two: Swap “What If” for “Even If”

A powerful reframe is changing “What if…” to “Even if…”.

Instead of: “What if selling that house was a mistake?”Try: “Even if we hadn’t sold, there’s no guarantee things would be better.”

This shift takes the sting out of hypothetical fears and reminds you that life is full of unknowns—but also full of resilience.

Strategy Three: Sleep Hygiene Matters

If overthinking takes over in bed, don’t stay stuck in the cycle. Get up, write your thoughts down, do a quiet activity, and return to bed when you feel calmer. Teach your brain that the bed is for rest—not for problem-solving.

When Confidence Takes a Knock

The second listener dilemma was about confidence at work: feeling like small mistakes ruin your whole week.

Here’s the truth: confidence is built by doing hard things, succeeding, and then trusting yourself to keep going. But when mistakes pile up, it can knock that foundation.

How to Rebuild Confidence

• Look at the bigger picture: One typo doesn’t erase years of good work.

• Reflect on your strengths: Journal about the skills, achievements, and qualities you’ve brought to your job.

• Name the fear: What are you actually scared of—a bad impression, losing your job, being judged? Once it’s out in the open, it feels less powerful.

• Remember skills vs. self-worth: A spelling mistake says nothing about your character, your kindness, or the person you are outside of work.

• Shift your focus: Where your attention goes, your energy flows. Instead of “don’t mess up,” try affirmations like: “I trust myself to do a good job” or “I am capable and confident at work.”

Final Reflection

Confidence and overthinking are closely linked—when we lack confidence, the mind looks for evidence of our “failures,” and overthinking keeps that evidence on repeat.

But both can be shifted with small, consistent practices: journaling, reframing, and reminding yourself of your worth.

You’re not defined by your mistakes. You’re defined by your ability to grow, reflect, and keep going.

🎧 Want to hear the full conversation?

Listen to the podcast episode Improve Your Confidence and Stop Overthinking Things for deeper insights, personal stories, and practical steps you can start using today.

✨ Want to dig deeper? Join the free Walking Session Crew for journaling prompts and reflections to help you stop overthinking, build confidence, and move forward with more ease.