You're Not Overthinking, You're Overattached: Gita on Why the Mind Won’t Shut Up
Riya Kumari | Jul 11, 2025, 23:58 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau, Timeslife )
I'm lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, mentally replaying a conversation I had six hours ago with the intensity of a courtroom drama. My brain is like, “Should’ve said THAT, not that.” Meanwhile, my body is ready to clock out like, “We’re done here, ma’am.” And that’s when it hit me: This isn’t overthinking. This is me refusing to let go.
Let’s begin with honesty. Most of us don’t think too much. We cling too hard. To the past. To people. To opinions. To expectations. To a version of life we’re convinced should have happened by now. And so the mind spins. Not because it’s curious. But because it’s scared. Not because it’s wise. But because it refuses to let go.
1. The Noise in Your Head Isn’t Thought, It’s Fear
We live in a time that glorifies thinking. “Overthinker” has become a weird badge of honor. But the Gita doesn’t call it a virtue. It calls it what it really is: disturbance of the self. Because overthinking isn't a sign of depth. It’s a sign of attachment.
The Gita says the mind is like a storm, turbulent, restless, stubborn. And when it’s ruled by desire or fear, it starts acting like a god. Demanding. Loud. Addicted to control. That’s why it won’t shut up. Not because you’re thoughtful. But because you’re threatened.
"To the one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends. But to the one who hasn’t, it becomes the greatest enemy.” - Bhagavad Gita 6.6
So who’s in charge, you or your mind? Because the Gita makes it very clear: You are not your thoughts. You are the one watching them. But when we identify with the mind too closely, we forget.
We think every emotion needs a solution. Every anxiety needs to be fixed. We start chasing peace like it’s somewhere outside us, on a beach, in a better job, in someone else's approval. But peace isn’t out there. It begins where attachment ends.
3. The Mind Wants Control. The Soul Wants Freedom
Overthinking is just the mind’s way of begging for control in a world that’s never going to obey it. So it over-prepares, overanalyzes, overprotects. But the Gita gently reminds us: Nothing outside of you is truly yours. Not people. Not outcomes. Not even your reputation. Everything is temporary.
So if your peace depends on things going your way, you’ll always be exhausted. But if you can observe, participate, act, with full presence, but without ownership, then suddenly, the noise starts to fade. That’s real detachment. Not walking away from life, but walking away from the need to grip it so tightly.
4. But Detachment Doesn’t Mean Indifference
This is where most people misunderstand. Detachment isn’t apathy. It’s engagement without dependence. It means you still care. You still love, still work, still try. But your identity is not tied to the outcome. You show up fully, but you don’t fall apart if things go differently. You stop taking every failure personally. You stop letting every praise inflate you.
This is what the Gita calls yoga, the discipline of balance. Of effort without ego. Of doing without becoming enslaved to what you do.
So What Do We Actually Do?
You practice. Not once. Not for a week. But daily. Every time your mind starts spiraling, you don’t fight it. You return. To stillness. To breath. To awareness. You remind yourself: I am not this storm. I am the sky watching it. This isn’t escape. This is power. The power to choose where your attention goes. Because where your attention goes, your life follows.
You were never meant to live at the mercy of your mind. You were meant to guide it. To use it as a tool, not a tyrant. And you don’t need to become a sage or a saint to start. You just need to see your thoughts for what they are: Stories. Patterns. Noise. Not truth. Start where you are. With what you have. And remember: You’re not overthinking. You’re just holding too tight. And it’s okay to loosen the grip. That’s where peace lives.
1. The Noise in Your Head Isn’t Thought, It’s Fear
Fear
( Image credit : Pexels )
We live in a time that glorifies thinking. “Overthinker” has become a weird badge of honor. But the Gita doesn’t call it a virtue. It calls it what it really is: disturbance of the self. Because overthinking isn't a sign of depth. It’s a sign of attachment.
The Gita says the mind is like a storm, turbulent, restless, stubborn. And when it’s ruled by desire or fear, it starts acting like a god. Demanding. Loud. Addicted to control. That’s why it won’t shut up. Not because you’re thoughtful. But because you’re threatened.
2. Mind Can Be The Greatest Enemy
Journal
( Image credit : Pexels )
"To the one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends. But to the one who hasn’t, it becomes the greatest enemy.” - Bhagavad Gita 6.6
So who’s in charge, you or your mind? Because the Gita makes it very clear: You are not your thoughts. You are the one watching them. But when we identify with the mind too closely, we forget.
We think every emotion needs a solution. Every anxiety needs to be fixed. We start chasing peace like it’s somewhere outside us, on a beach, in a better job, in someone else's approval. But peace isn’t out there. It begins where attachment ends.
3. The Mind Wants Control. The Soul Wants Freedom
Free
( Image credit : Pexels )
Overthinking is just the mind’s way of begging for control in a world that’s never going to obey it. So it over-prepares, overanalyzes, overprotects. But the Gita gently reminds us: Nothing outside of you is truly yours. Not people. Not outcomes. Not even your reputation. Everything is temporary.
So if your peace depends on things going your way, you’ll always be exhausted. But if you can observe, participate, act, with full presence, but without ownership, then suddenly, the noise starts to fade. That’s real detachment. Not walking away from life, but walking away from the need to grip it so tightly.
4. But Detachment Doesn’t Mean Indifference
Meditate
( Image credit : Pexels )
This is where most people misunderstand. Detachment isn’t apathy. It’s engagement without dependence. It means you still care. You still love, still work, still try. But your identity is not tied to the outcome. You show up fully, but you don’t fall apart if things go differently. You stop taking every failure personally. You stop letting every praise inflate you.
This is what the Gita calls yoga, the discipline of balance. Of effort without ego. Of doing without becoming enslaved to what you do.
So What Do We Actually Do?
You were never meant to live at the mercy of your mind. You were meant to guide it. To use it as a tool, not a tyrant. And you don’t need to become a sage or a saint to start. You just need to see your thoughts for what they are: Stories. Patterns. Noise. Not truth. Start where you are. With what you have. And remember: You’re not overthinking. You’re just holding too tight. And it’s okay to loosen the grip. That’s where peace lives.