Episode 17 Rumination rewired a toolkit for overthinkers

In this episode of Life Lab, Tom dives into a habit many high performers quietly battle: rumination. If you’ve ever found yourself replaying a meeting moment at 2 am or over-analysing a raised eyebrow in a boardroom, you’re not alone. But what if this pattern of thought wasn’t a flaw, but an untapped strength? Tom shares a personal story of rumination in an executive setting and explores how the brain’s default mode network, often blamed for anxiety, can also be a powerful tool for creativity, empathy and insight. With a simple 3-step experiment (label it, timebox it, extract the insight), he shows how to harness the loop instead of being trapped in it. Because the real superpower isn’t overthinking—it’s learning to think deeply without drowning.