Stoicism, Zen, and Mindfulness Books to Help You Stop Overthinking
By: Darius Foroux
Tags: Anxiety, Overthinking, Self, Book Recommendations, Books

3 Books to Help You Stop Overthinking

Photo: Stephen Zeigler/Getty Images

It was only recently that I realized overthinking might be holding me back. For most of my life, I believed it was okay to be consumed by indecision and worry. Scientific research hasn’t shed light on where exactly that maniacal inner voice comes from, but philosophers and thinkers have been writing about it for centuries. And they’re very helpful—after reading a lot about the subject, I’m more in control of my thoughts than ever.

The following three books are my all-time favorites.

‘A Manual for Living’ by Epictetus

I often write about how Stoicism has helped me find tranquility in life. This classic text by Epictetus, originally called The Enchiridion, is something that resonates with me a lot. You can read it in one sitting, and it contains the most wisdom per sentence than anything I’ve ever read. I’ve read it over and over and still find new ideas and inspiration in this little book. When you keep learning and developing, you start seeing different things in books. That’s what I love about rereading books: The content doesn’t change—you change.

If you haven’t read this book, I recommend dropping everything right now to start reading it. There’s even a free version available online.

‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael A. Singer

This may sound odd, but philosophy will help you stop overthinking, or at least overthinking in the useless, spinning-wheels way. There are obviously differences between Western and Eastern philosophy, but both have the same goal: to help you live better. They just have different vehicles for getting there. The Stoics reasoned themselves to tranquility. Eastern philosophies and methodologies like Buddhism, Zen, and others try to remove reasoning. Instead, they observe the mind. That’s what meditation is.

You can also practice Eastern philosophy without meditating, which is what Michael Singer perfectly captures in The Untethered Soul. You can get many things out of this book: spirituality, meditation techniques, and peace of mind. I recommend this book to anyone who’s skeptical, practical, and open-minded. Singer does a great job of helping the reader stop overthinking without making things complicated or esoteric.

‘Stillness Speaks’ by Eckhart Tolle

This book is a collection of aphorisms about overthinking. It’s short, to the point, and highly practical. Just like Singer, Eckhart Tolle does a great job explaining the techniques you can apply without getting bogged down by history or anything esoteric. Let’s be real: Most of us don’t care about the history of philosophy; we care about its practical application.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book:

Whenever you are immersed in compulsive thinking, you are avoiding what is. You don’t want to be where you are. Here, Now.

I think the Stoics would agree with this as well. Overthinking happens when you’re focused on chasing your desires or running from your repulsions. In fact, that’s what most of us do all our lives. We need to find the courage within ourselves to be okay with life the way it is. Don’t wish things were different. Things are the way they are — so stop asking, “Why is this happening to me?” Accept it. Only then can you be free of your mind.

Stay practical

Most of our thoughts are useless. William James, founder of the philosophical school of pragmatism, said it best: “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

The mind is a tool. It’s supposed to work for you, not against you. That’s the premise of my book about overthinking. Sometimes we just get stuck inside our own heads. If you want to stop overthinking, I highly recommend reading the above books. But remember that it’s more important to apply what you read.

That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned about overthinking: More knowledge and thoughts are not the answer—it’s about executing.