People describe the same pattern: the day is over, then unfinished tasks, Slack pings, and a sentence from a meeting start looping. Overthinking feels like problem-solving. Research on rumination says the harmful form is brooding, circling causes without a next action. Generic meditation often fails because the brain is still holding open loops.

Seven work practices you can use the same day: name the loop, separate facts from stories, park worry in a scheduled slot, capture unfinished tasks so they are not stored in your head, make smaller decisions, and run a shutdown ritual. These are well-known thinking tools taught as work practices, not therapy. No results are promised. Not a treatment for OCD, GAD, or insomnia.