This is one of those books that I feel was written just for me. And not only that, it feels like I'm having a conversation with a good girlfriend when I'm reading it. Anne's writing style is calm, clear and personal, all while providing information and anecdotes that are applicable to so many situations. We learn what overthinking really is and how it manifests in our lives, and get practical steps for how to handle it. I found myself in many of the pages of this book, thinking "Oh yes, I do that!" The tools Anne provides are already making a difference in my life, and I can't wait to share this book with friends. And now I can finally stop worrying that I should apologize to my prom date for leaving him to hang out with friends 30+ years ago :)

As soon as I heard the title of Anne Bogel’s new book “Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More joy to Your Life”, I knew that I would like it for two reasons.  First, I am a huge fan of Bogel’s blog and other books, and second, I am an overthinker.  

The conversational style that Bogel uses in her “Modern Mrs. Darcy” blog, shared stories, and next step questions make her newest book so much more than a self-help book.  It’s like a refreshing conversation with a friend.  From the introductory quotes to the closing benediction, it is full of passages to highlight for future reference.  “Don’t Overthink It” can be read cover to cover or used to refer to specific topics through the three-part structure and individual chapter headings.  

I highly recommend “Don’t Overthink It”.   Even if you do not believe that you are an overthinker, you will enjoy this refreshing read plus you will find the tips about a variety of topics including managing analysis paralysis, taking time to make time, choosing what to think, and streamlining decisions helpful.  

Special thanks to NetGalley, Baker Books, and the author for providing an ARC of this book.

In an age of information overload, decision paralysis is an absolute epidemic, disguised as "research".  In her latest release, Anne Bogel guides her readers through the mire of overthinking in all its overwhelming angles. One of my favorite aspects of the book was each chapter's "Next Steps" questions to move the reader toward application and action steps. As someone who regularly struggles with overthinking under the guise of perfectionism and research, I immediately messaged my family to recommend this book! 

"When we assume we can't, it's guaranteed we won't. It's true that some of us are naturally more decisive, more laid back, or more confident than others.  Some of us are more inclined to overthink.  But that is the starting point, not the last word.  That is where we begin, not where we're destined to end up." Anne Bogel, Overthinking

I've read many books on mindfulness before so much of the beginning sounded and felt very familiar. It was slow for me to get into it because it was like a “review”. However, just because you know it doesn't mean you need to learn it. As I went on I started to appreciate the more grounded fresh perspective on mindfulness. 

The chapters on habits and rituals were the best ones for quoting and sharing with my audience and repeating to my clients. I loved reminding them of the power of eating the same thing for breakfast and wearing the same things, aka a signature style. 

I loved reminding them that perfectionism and overthinking are at the heart of the “all or nothing” thinking that gets in the way of a living a healthy happy life.

I loved the last section on living from a place of generosity. I think we get stuck in trying to do the right thing that we don't do anything. Valuing kindness and compassion always wins and there is value in doing something, no matter how small it may seem to us. By illustrating the power of knowing who you are and acting accordingly, the book ends on a powerful note.

In my work I deal with a lot of people who overthink. They are so afraid sometimes of making the wrong decision that they can’t make a decision. What a great tool this book is for me to share with others. The author has done an incredible job of opening your mind to how overthinking can be changed and how it doesn’t have to rule your life.  
She gives practical advice in this area and shares life stories so you can see how it plays out in different situations.  
I will be ordering more than one copy for my office and I highly recommend this book to anyone whether you are an over thinker or not. I have gained a lot from this book and am thankful she has taken the time to write it. 
I received an advanced copy and this is my own opinion.

This is my third book of Anne Bogel"s to read. I have enjoyed each one very much and have bought several of each to share with others. Her writing is easy to read, informative, understandable, and to the point. It brings up topics to the surface and helps you see where one can relate. This new book of hers is amazing. So much of it is relatable and mind pondering. I especially like having the questions at the end of each chapter to help you reflect and fully emerge you into what you just read. I highly recommend this book and her others to anyone but especially to avid readers and will be buying several copies to share with others.

This is a must-read for anyone who believes they may be an overthinker, and a delightful read for anyone else. I could hear Anne Bogel's voice in my head as I read her words, and I swear she must read my mind and perhaps live secretly in my house. She gives examples of her own overthinking to which the reader can relate, and gives tips and advice on how to stop dwelling on decisions and start making decisions. She talks about prioritizing, and making rules for yourself that make decisions easier. The tone is friendly and it is a pleasant book to read.

I cannot wait to read this again and to offer copies to some people whom I think may benefit from and enjoy this fantastic book.  Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was the right book at the right time for me. I've recently had some significant (positive) life changes that brought with them a flurry of opportunities... to overthink. Unfortunately, overthinking can become a habit and begin to sap the joy from one's life.

Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life describes the ways we engage in overthinking, what prompts us to overthink, and thankfully, identifies ways to reduce one's tendency to overthink. The suggestions I found most helpful were focusing on one's values, limiting options, not allowing planning to interfere with actually executing, basking in rituals, treating oneself, and simple abundance.

Ms. Bogel also provides a section outlining books she found especially helpful in researching overthinking and the tools to overcome it. I look forward to reading several of those titles.

I applied what I learned from this book while writing this review. Rather than focusing on writing it "just so," I just sat down and wrote it. I highly recommend this book to those who sometimes get caught up in analysis paralysis.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for an advance copy of this book.

As a chronic overthinker, I found Don't Overthink It to be relevant and immensely informative. Bogel mixes her research with her own stories of her overthinking habits, making the book feel relatable and easy to read. The advice doesn't feel preachy, but rather conversational, like Bogel is talking right to you. And I've already incorporated some of her tips and tricks on how to curb my overthinking habits, and it's felt like a huge weight has been lifted from my mind. It's a quick read that anyone can benefit from.

With it’s practical ways and approaches to dealing with overthinking, sprinkled with Anne’s personal anecdotes, Don’t Overthink It is like having sitting down with your best friend catching up over a glass of wine. Non judgement, practical and a good read.

Don’t Overthink It comes at just the right time!  I didn’t think this book would apply to me that much - but WOW, it sure did. It helped me figure out why I procrastinated so often and gave me ideas on how to overcome it.  

One of the things I like best about Don’t Overthink It is the collection of action steps at the end of each chapter.  So the book doesn’t just identify problems, there are practical suggestions to overcome them.

My most valuable takeaway is the idea of experimenting.  The concept of “let’s try this and see what happens” has already saved me time, overthinking, and exhaustion!

I was excited to receive an ARC of Anne’s new book.  I have read and enjoyed Anne’s previous books and I was not disappointed.  Anne writes as if she is having a conversation with her readers, similar to her podcast, What Should I Read Next.  In her new book, Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life,  Anne dives into an exploration of overthinking, what it means and the effects it has on both our physical and mental health. She backs up her facts with research and offers questions to encourage readers to dive deeper into their own thinking processes.  She offers suggestions and strategies for overcoming the overthinking habit.  Anne does all of this with her signature warmth and humor.  I have been a chronic overthinker all of my life and I have found myself regularly referring back to this book and using the strategies.  I highly recommend this book!

When I first heard that Anne Bagel had a new book coming out, I knew I would read it. Everything she produces is beautifully written, relatable and thought-provoking.
I feel like I’ve made progress in the overthinking department in recent years, but this book pointed out several areas of life where I could improve that I hadn’t considered before. The solutions she suggests for adjusting your mindset are seemingly simple yet life-changing. In the short time since reading Don’t Overthink It, I have already booked a vacation I was wavering about, followed through with plans I would normally have talked myself out of, and yes, I bought the tulips!

Finished this gem of a book yesterday filled with fun, real life stories and so many tools to help overthinkers like myself make decisions and live fuller lives. My kindle edition is highlighted so much it's as if markers threw up inside it. 
Have you heard of Modern Mrs. Darcy? She is a book lover, blogger, podcaster, and all around fabulous human being. 
You won't regret reading this beauty.  Anne Bogel for the win! .

I always love Anne's books - like grabbing coffee with a wise friend, full of advice, encouragement, and warmth.

I didn’t really think of myself as an overthinker before picking up this book. I thought maybe I could pick up some tips for other people in my life who are. Let’s just say I learned a few things about myself!

Anne Bogel addresses the many ways we overthink and the impact overthinking has on our lives. Best of all, she offers real-life strategies for stopping overthinking in its tracks. As Anne writes, “mental energy is not a limitless resource,” and the more we can find offramps from the cycle of overthinking, the healthier we will be mentally and emotionally. 

The book is full of practical suggestions you can incorporate immediately into your daily life. For example, I get really anxious about hosting people for meals in my home. I hadn’t even realized how much I overthink this. Anne offers a couple of great ideas I can put in place right away to relieve my stress and become the welcoming host I want to be. 

Some of the other ideas that really resonated with me were:

There’s seldom one right answer. 
I can take baby steps forward to shift my momentum and get unstuck. 
I can use systems and habits to clear our physical and mental clutter. My new mantra is “complete the cycle!”
Turning routines into rituals improves our mental and spiritual health. Here’s how Anne describes the difference:

“A routine is done for expediency…Ritual is something we do with a higher purpose in mind…A ritual unites the rhythm of routine with focused attention—a powerful combination for avoiding overthinking. It’s hard to overthink when we are focused on the moment. The ritual forces us to slow down—and when we deliberately slow our bodies, we slow our minds as well.”

Even if you don’t consider yourself an overthinker, I highly recommend you pick up this book. There’s something here for anyone who wants to live a less anxious and more mindful life!

"Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life" is a new self-help book by Anne Bogel, author and creator of the popular blog Modern Mrs Darcy, and host of What Should I Read Next? podcast. The title tells you exactly what the problem is and promises to offer strategies to stop it, and; therefore, bring more happiness into your life. In general, the ability to overthink can affect both genders in any given situation, but Bogel focuses mostly on women based on a 2017 brain study conducted by the Amen clinics of imaging data that showed women's brain as more active in the prefrontal cortex than men when it comes to over analyzing.

Bogel comes across the page as your new best friend like she does in her book podcast. She presents various examples of how destructive overthinking has been in her life and how she was able to change her thoughts and actions to move past it and find a happy solution. She admits that she hasn't completely conquered her own overthinking, but is better equipped now to use various well researched strategies, as discussed in her book, when she knows she's doing it again. I found her easy to read and relatable.

It's the kind of book you'll be able to flip through and reread the sections you need to work on the most.

I am a worrier.  I am a detail oriented person.  I like control and perfection.  All this adds up to mean that I am an overthinker.  For that reason, the title of this book just jumped out to me.  Yes!  I need this!  Help me!

I have two favorite things about this book: 
1) It is relatable. I love when an author giving advice to others gives examples of where they struggle in the same area. Each chapter contains an example from Anne's own life as well as many examples from other ordinary men and women.  

2) It is immediately applicable. Many times in self-help books, the ideas sound great, but you aren't really sure what to do with all these amazing ideas.  I actually found myself using the ideas, suggestions, and strategies without even realizing how quickly I had absorbed it all.  They are just so simple and uncomplicated.  

A few ideas that have stood out to me the most: 
1) "Speed Up to Move On" - Sometimes when faced with a decision, we drag our feet either because both ideas are great and we don't want to make a bad decision or because one of the options is terrible and we secretly hope that more time will make the bad option go away.  We just need to do something, accept that perfection might not be possible and move on.
2) "Complete the Cycle" - when faced with a mental checklist, don't leave things unfinished.  Finish what you start and you'll create more brain space.
3) "It's a mistake to give all your thoughts equal weight. Some thoughts do not deserve to be taken seriously, so don't dignify them with a response." I tend to do this and it just weighs me down.  It's helpful to realize that I can just choose to brush away some thoughts.  

Highly recommend this one!

Overthinkers rejoice!  Anne Bogel's Don't Overthink It will resonate with you while also equipping you with practical tips for stopping the spiral of overthinking and decision fatigue.  Bogel encourages readers to see overthinking as a behavior not an identity.  She provides examples from her own overthinking experiences and describes how she has been able to shift her mindset in those moments of chronic overthinking.  Each chapter concludes with questions for individual reflection which I appreciate as a reader who likes to apply my learning to my own personal experiences.  This is a book that I will be revisiting repeatedly for encouragement and reminders.  So if you are interested in reading this book my advice to you is- don't overthink it.  Buy the book.  Read the book.  Enjoy!

I'm not sure if I would have identified myself as a classic overthinker, but after reading Anne Bogel's newest book, “Don't Overthink It,” I can definitely pinpoint some areas of my personal life where overthinking has become my default. And that default actually means I do nothing at all.

“We're afraid of choosing poorly, so we end up choosing nothing – not because it was the right decision but because we couldn't get through the messy middle.”

The real life examples in the book help us to see in our own lives practical ways we might be able to eliminate decision fatigue. Anne reminds us that when we're able to decide ahead of time what our values/goals are, we can use those parameters to help us not to overthink decisions and move forward with confidence. 

“Don't Overthink It” is a book I can see myself coming back to as a helpful reminder that creating margin in one's life is an important priority that will allow for more joy and spontaneity in the everyday. And when in doubt, buy the flowers.