How to Distract Yourself from Worried Thoughts (Without Losing Hours to Overthinking)
Ever noticed how one small thought can snowball into a full-blown worry spiral?
A twinge in your ankle becomes a serious illness.
A strange sound on a plane becomes a failing engine.
A single “what if” becomes a hundred more.
This is the nature of hypothetical worries - the ones that aren’t about real, solvable problems, but about imagined futures we can’t control. They often involve fortune-telling (“I know what will happen”) or catastrophising (“it’ll be the worst possible outcome”).
Practical worries can usually be problem-solved. But for hypothetical worries, problem-solving doesn’t work. That’s where the distraction technique - or what we call mindful refocusing - comes in.
What Is Mindful Refocusing?
Mindful refocusing is the practice of deliberately shifting your attention when you catch yourself ruminating. It interrupts the chain of anxious thoughts and gives your brain a chance to reset.
Instead of replaying the same thought loop, you step into a different activity - ideally something physical or sensory that requires your brain to engage with the present moment. Even five minutes can be enough to break the cycle.
5 Quick Ways to Refocus Your Mind
Here are some simple techniques that overthinkers in the Luma community use to stop worry spirals:
Step outside - walk the dog, or simply look up at the sky for a few minutes.
Count 10 blue things in your environment.
Turn on a favourite, mood-boosting song and really listen.
Light a candle and watch the flame.
Write down 3 things you’re grateful for in a journal.
These small actions shift your focus just long enough to free your mind from rumination.
How to Use This in the Luma App
Luma includes a dedicated Distractions feature to help you practice mindful refocusing. Here’s how it works:
First, record your worry in the Worry Tree tool.
Decide if it’s practical (solvable) or hypothetical (not solvable right now).
If it’s hypothetical, you can schedule worry time for later - and then Luma invites you to let it go by choosing a distraction.
You’ll find a list of suggestions inside the app, and you can even build your own personal list - whether that’s mindfulness, dog walking, or playing your favourite track. Over time, you’ll create a tailored set of go-to distractions that actually work for you.
Why It Matters
It’s not always possible to take positive action on every worry. But without a backup plan, it’s easy to lose hours — or nights of sleep — stuck in rumination.
Distractions aren’t about avoidance. They’re about breaking the cycle of unhelpful thoughts so you can get back to living your life. As author Erma Bombeck put it:
“Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”
Ready to try mindful refocusing for yourself?
Download Luma and start your 7-day free trial. You’ll get access to the Worry Tree, Distractions, Scheduled Worry Time, and other tools designed for overthinkers.