Novelist and composer David Cosgrove returns for a summer catch-up on why he writes for exactly two people — himself and one brutally honest friend. A funny, unguarded look inside his Kirkus-reviewed LA noir No Clean Hands, the detective who ruins everything he touches, and the eerie moment his fiction started writing his real life. Everything else is weather. You've been told to “stop overthinking.” David Cosgrove wrote a book — and now a…
Episode 10: Overthinking Creative Work (Bonus Episode)
The paralysis before you start. The perfectionism while you're working. The comparison trap after you ship. Creative block hits overthinkers uniquely hard because there's no objectively right answer—and that uncertainty is torture for a brain that wants guarantees. David, a musician and author with decades of creative work behind him, shares hard-won lessons about separating creation from evaluation, giving yourself permission to make garbage…
Episode 9: Using the Tools Together (Season Finale)
Real life doesn't come in neat categories—sometimes you're overthinking three things at once. In this season finale, David demonstrates how the four core cognitive tools work as an integrated system: The Click (catching the spiral early), The Narrator (changing the voice), The Algorithm (redirecting what your brain searches for), and The Awesome (turning mental energy into a superpower). Walk through layered real-world scenarios combining work…
Episode 8: When Good News Feels Dangerous
You got the job, the yes, the win—and instead of celebrating, you're spiraling. Success anxiety is real: when good things happen, the stakes suddenly feel higher and the fear of losing everything kicks in. This episode explores why achievement triggers imposter syndrome and self-sabotage, how to actually let a victory land before rushing to the next worry, and how to build a “Compliment Bank” of evidence against your inner skeptic. You're…
Episode 7: The 3AM Brain
The lights go out and your brain wakes up. Suddenly that email you sent, that thing you said three years ago, your finances, your future—everything demands attention at the worst possible time. Insomnia and racing thoughts at night aren't random; they're what happens when a tired mind loses its filters and starts processing without supervision. This episode offers practical tools for nighttime overthinking: body relaxation techniques, mental…
Episode 6: Overthinking Health and Body Signals
Your heart skips a beat and suddenly you're deep in a symptom-searching spiral, convinced something is seriously wrong. Health anxiety turns normal body sensations into alarm bells, and your pattern-seeking brain starts treating every twinge as a diagnosis. David explains why overthinkers become hyper-focused on physical symptoms, how to shift from catastrophizing to simple observation, and why one weird sensation isn't a pattern worth panicking…
Episode 5: Overthinking Relationships
Someone you love is struggling, and suddenly their pain lives in your chest. Empaths and overthinkers often blur the line between caring and carrying—absorbing other people's emotions until there's nothing left. This episode explores the roots of codependency and caregiver burnout, how to separate genuine support from emotional over-responsibility, and why maintaining your own stability is a gift to the people you love—not a betrayal. Learn to…
Episode 4: Overthinking Work and Performance
You finished the project and got positive feedback—so why do you still feel like you didn't do enough? The invisible scoreboard of perfectionism never stops running. David explores why high-performers struggle with imposter syndrome and relentless self-doubt, how self-criticism masquerades as professional diligence, and how to fire your inner critic and hire a coach instead. Discover the “wins file”—a practical tool for building counter-evidence…
Episode 3: Decision Paralysis
Two options. Maybe twelve. And you've been stuck for weeks. Analysis paralysis hits overthinkers hard because we don't just see choices—we see branching timelines of consequences. This episode unpacks why waiting for certainty keeps you trapped in indecision, how to set a thinking deadline and actually honor it, and the game-changing shift from overthinking the choice to overthinking the execution. Decision fatigue is real, but here's the truth:…
Episode 2: The Replay Loop
You leave the room and your brain hits rewind. That thing you said. The pause before they responded. The joke that didn't land. Social anxiety loves the replay loop—your mind's post-game analysis gone wrong, scanning for threats instead of letting conversations end. David explains why rumination keeps you stuck rewatching interactions, how to identify the moment the mental replay starts, and how to redirect your harsh inner critic toward a…