Overcoming Excessive Worry and Obsessive Thoughts

When your mind is locked in a never-ending loop of spinning, circling, and tightening thoughts, it can make you feel powerless to stop them. If this sounds like you, then you may be one of the many people who wrestle with excessive worry, intrusive mental clutter, and obsessive thoughts that refuse to let go.

If you’re wondering why you keep getting stuck, there’s a real neurological explanation. It’s when certain regions of the brain are overactive, firing with too much intensity.

Renowned psychiatrist and neuroscientist Daniel Amen, MD, has spent decades teaching people how to break free from these thought patterns with practical steps that help balance those brain regions.

If you’ve ever felt trapped in your thoughts, today is the day we start loosening that grip. This blog will help you understand the brain regions behind these patterns, why cognitive flexibility matters, and what you can do right now to create more ease and flow in your mind.

Why Your Brain Is Getting Stuck

One of the main brain regions associated with excessive worry and obsessive thoughts is the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). Think of it as your brain’s “gear shifter,” which is supposed to help you shift smoothly from one idea, emotion, or behavior to the next.

The ACG plays a major role in cognitive flexibility, which allows you to adapt to change, collaborate with others, solve problems creatively, and respond gracefully when life throws you those inevitable curveballs.

When the ACG is functioning well, you can embrace new experiences, shift perspectives, and transition without panic. When it’s not, the mind can become rigid, overly focused on threats or imperfections, and prone to looping worries.

According to a 2018 study, abnormalities in anterior cingulate activity are strongly associated with impaired mental flexibility and increased rumination, which are two classic hallmarks of getting stuck.

Essentially, when the ACG struggles, you struggle. However, the good news is that you can strengthen how you bounce back and balance those struggles.

What Does the Anterior Cingulate Gyrus Do?

When your ACG is balanced, life feels more fluid, and choices feel easier to make. The ACG is responsible for:

●      ability to shift attention

●      cognitive flexibility

●      adaptability

●      movement from idea to idea

●      ability to see options

●      ability to “go with the flow”

●      ability to cooperate

●      error detection

That’s why it’s so important to understand how your AGC is working with you or against you.

Why Excessive Worry Happens When the ACG Is Overworked

When the ACG is overactive, it starts working overtime like a manager who won't stop micromanaging your every thought. This leads to excessive worry, hyper-focus on problems, mental rigidity, and frustration when things don’t go exactly as planned.

An overactive ACG is deeply connected to getting stuck, difficulties with cognitive flexibility, persistent obsessive thoughts, and even patterns seen in obsessive-compulsive behaviors. 

In fact, research from Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging shows that increased activity in the ACG is significantly correlated with compulsive behavior patterns and rumination.

Common Symptoms of an Overactive Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (ACG)

Symptoms of ACG overactivity include the following:

●      Excessive worrying

●      Holding on to hurts from the past

●      Getting stuck on thoughts (obsessions)

●      Getting stuck on behaviors (compulsions)

●      Argumentativeness

●      Oppositional behavior

●      Uncooperativeness; tendency to say no automatically

●      Addictive behaviors (alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders)

●      Chronic pain

●      Cognitive inflexibility

●      Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

●      OCD spectrum disorders

●      Eating disorders

●      Road rage

Everyone can dip into obsessive thinking now and then, but mentally healthy individuals eventually learn to release those thoughts and move forward. That ability to let go is the very essence of cognitive flexibility. And strengthening it helps protect your mind from the stress of trying to control everything.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the ACG

Dr. Amen’s brain-imaging work with an advanced technology called SPECT shows that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often have overactivity in the anterior cingulate gyrus. Studies confirm that the ACG plays a crucial role in both the obsessive (thought-based) and compulsive (behavior-based) aspects of OCD.

A 2020 study in Biological Psychiatry found that people with OCD consistently show hyperactivity in the ACG, especially during error detection tasks. Their brain essentially keeps screaming, “Something’s wrong!” even when nothing is inherently wrong.

A more recent 2025 study found that successful OCD treatment, whether it be therapy, medication, or brain-based interventions, actually reduced overactivity in the ACG and improved cognitive flexibility.

Because the ACG heavily shapes the OCD experience, targeted brain-based strategies essential.

How to Improve Your Cognitive Flexibility

Improving cognitive flexibility starts with a whole-person approach. In Amen University’s Change Your Brain Masters course, Dr. Amen teaches the Four Circles model, which involves the most important aspects of a person’s life:

·       Biological

·       Psychological

·       Social

·       Spiritual

These help you make lifestyle changes that feel natural instead of forced. When applied consistently, these small shifts help reduce excessive worry and calm obsessive thoughts.

Biological ACG Prescriptions

Supplements

Dr. Amen often recommends the following supplements to help support ACG balance:

●      Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)

●      5HTP

●      L-tryptophan

●      Inositol

●      Saffron

●      St. John’s Wort

●      Omega-3s (higher in DHA)

These nutrients help support your serotonin pathways, calm overactivity, and protect your overall brain function to improve emotional regulation years to come.

Nutritional Interventions

Foods that naturally increase serotonin can help soothe an overactive ACG:

●      Complex carbohydrates: sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans

●      Foods rich in L-tryptophan: chicken, turkey, salmon, beef, nut butter, eggs, green peas

Exercise

Movement is medicine, so make exercise a consistent part of your life. Exercise boosts your mood, reduces looping thoughts, and improves cognitive flexibility.

Psychological ACG Prescriptions

Thought Stopping

Whenever your mind starts spiraling, make it a habit to visualize a giant red STOP sign. Remind yourself: “This is my ACG getting stuck.”

Notice When You’re Stuck, Then Distract Yourself

Having coping strategies doesn’t mean you failed. Use this time to create a roster of healthy distractions like:

●      Singing your favorite song like an at-home concert

●      Listen to uplifting music and visualize a scene of your own life playing out

●      Take a walk, outside or on a treadmill works either way

●      Do a chore that you’ve been putting off and take control of your time with a 10-minute limit

●      Play with a pet (because who doesn’t feel better after cuddling with a furry friend)

●      Try structured meditation with a guided app, if needed

●      Focus on one word and sweep away other thoughts

Think Through Answers Before Automatically Saying No

People with overactivity in the ACG tend to say no automatically, but you can learn to overcome this tendency. Here’s a strategy that can help you eliminate the automatic no:

Pause. Breathe in for three seconds. Exhale for five. Give your brain space before reacting.

Write Down Options and Solutions

1. Write down the stuck thought
2. List what you CAN do
3. List what you CANNOT do

This simple framework reduces overwhelm and increases clarity you need to move forward.

Social ACG Prescriptions

Seek Counsel When You Feel Stuck

Talking to someone you trust opens new pathways and helps unlock rigid thinking.

Don’t Try to Convince Someone Else Who Is Stuck

Take a break from the conversation. Come back later with a calmer brain.

Paradoxical Requests

Reverse psychology can work wonders, especially with stubborn children or adults who resist direct suggestions.

Spiritual ACG Prescription

Positive Rituals

If you find comfort in routine, build rituals that nourish your soul. Here are some ideas you can apply if it works for you:

➔   Self-care days

➔   Solo dates / hobbies

➔   Meditation or prayer

➔   Gratitude journaling

➔   Breathwork

The Next Step to Overcoming Excessive Worry

At the end of the day, patterns of obsessive-compulsive thinking and rigid emotional loops require compassion, patience, and the right tools. With the right brain-based strategies, you can learn how to calm excessive worry, soften obsessive thoughts, strengthen cognitive flexibility, and finally step into a life where your mind feels like a partner, not a prison.

Discover more ways to overcome excessive worry and obsessive thoughts when you register for Amen University’s Change Your Brain Masters course.