Taming the Thought Loops That Steal Focus and Flow

How to change the inner station W-R-R-Y

I’ve been awakened at times by an internal alarm clock at 3 or 4 am. My mind scans the darkness until it tunes into station W — R — R — Y. It plays my downer mind’s top 10 favorite hits. “You’re No Good.” “You Should Be Farther Along.” “Why Did You Say That?” Ethan Kross calls this kind of mental noise chatter—a well-intentioned inner voice that gets stuck on a loop, replaying fears and regrets. When we don’t know how to manage that voice, it manages us.

There’s a central difference between caring and worrying. Caring points outward; it motivates. Worrying turns inward and spins. One expands our focus, the other tightens it into a loop. And when you’re caught in that loop, it’s hard to tend to your dream day, your dream project, or your actual life with the kind of openness it deserves.

I spend a good portion of my days partnering with entrepreneurs, leaders, teams, and creatives—people invested in complex endeavors, trying to have an impact without burning out or getting stuck in their own heads. Some of that work does require reflective, open-ended thinking. Spaciousness. But in that open space—not filled with noise or tasks—rumination can sneak in and hijack that time meant for flow.

So how do we know when thought loops are getting in the way? And how do we trip them up without just bypassing the hard stuff?

That’s what I want to explore with you here. (And if you're not yet a premium paid member, you can sample this essay—and I’ll see you for this Sunday’s Wonder Dispatch, always free. Maybe I’ll see you at this spring’s Deepen Your Focus and Flow at Work Cohort, too.)

And a side but important note: I’d love to hear how your experience is with this shift to Substack - and The Wonder HUB - with the Sunday Wonder Dispatch, bonus essays and articles and poems, and more. I appreciate you.