Hi Reader!

How's your brain? 🧠

Is it clear and calm like a lake imitating glass on a bright summer morning?

Or is it more like the dark, churning ocean when there's a hurricane brewing?

If you're prone to overthinking, you probably spend more time feeling like the choppy ocean than the placid lake, especially if you're working on a book (or any creative project).

And I'm right there with you.

Overthinking is my happy place.

Ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed following the thread of an idea through all the winding passageways of my mind and then, as if I had been unspooling an actual ball of yarn while walking through a physical maze, retracing my steps back through the labyrinth.

Lately, my overthinking has been in overdrive.

To be honest, I've been letting my mind run amok.

I wake up in the middle of the night to my brain spinning out endless possibilities, doubts, and "what ifs."

Watching reality TV on my phone (I can't get enough of Love is Blind or Married at First Sight) until I fall back to sleep doesn't feel like a long-term solution. 🤪

So, this weekend, I tried something completely different: my first cold plunge. 🥶 🥶 🥶

I have been "training" for this experience.

I took some dips in an outdoor pool that was probably in the 50s when I went to Florida in January.

I have been finishing my showers with one minute of cold water for the past few months.

But nothing prepared me for the experience of sitting in a tub of 33-degree water for 3 minutes. (Well, I did once overshoot the edge of the yard on a sled and broke through the ice back home in Michigan when I was 7 or 8, but I digress.)

And do you know what happened?

My brain simply... stopped.

No analysis paralysis. No worries about how or why or "what if?" No endless loops of doubt.

For hours after I got out of the water, my mind was quiet.

Everything melted away.

The Cold Plunge Revelation

There's something about the shock of cold water that forces your mind into the present moment. There's no room for ruminating. Your body takes over, giving your creative mind space to reset.

I don't know if cold plunging is for everyone.

I certainly don't plan to do it on a regular basis—my finger tips are STILL numb (typing this newsletter for you, Reader, is a labor of love 🧡).

But I do know we ALL need to find healthy ways to break the overthinking cycle.

Other Ways to Break the Overthinking Cycle

Here are some other approaches that might help when you find yourself overthinking your book:

• Timed writing sprints: Set a timer for 5 minutes and write without stopping or editing. Don't give your inner critic time to speak up.
• Change your environment: Sometimes a simple location change—like writing in a coffee shop instead of at home—can shift your mental patterns.
• Physical movement: A brisk walk, yoga session, or dance break (I had fun dancing with my own shadow the other night 💃🏽) can help clear mental fog when you're stuck in your head.
• Talk it out: Explain your story or the problem you're stuck on to someone else. Often, articulating it aloud reveals solutions.
• Set decision-making boundaries: Schedule specific times to make decisions about your work, and outside those times, tell yourself, "Not now, I'll consider this during my decision time."

The goal isn't to stop thinking entirely—it's to prevent thinking from becoming an obstacle to progress. Sometimes the best ideas emerge when we give our analytical minds a break.

Thanks,

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Weekly Challenge

How can you give your brain a break this week?

Can you shift out of your regular routine—put your phone down a couple of hours before bed, go for a walk during your lunch break—and see what happens?

Your brain will thank you!

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Inspo Corner

Robbie Samuels has compiled an amazing group of book partners who can help you at any stage in business book author journey. Curious? Check out the Biz Book Pub Hub right here!​

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Other ways to work with The Pocket PhD

​Quiz - Do you have a business case for your book? Find out.

​Book Ghostwriting - Idea to book in just 16 weeks. I'll help you refine your idea and take care of the discipline of writing.

​Developmental Editing - Do you have a manuscript that's finished (or close to being finished)? In 4 weeks, we'll get that book ready for publication.

​Grab Your Copy of Unwritten - My book Unwritten: The Thought Leader's Guide to Not Overthinking Your Business Book is available now.

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Get Unwritten

2025 Independent Press Award Winner!

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