Always going with your gut can land you in hot water. But can jumping in headfirst ever be beneficial, and how can we strike a balance between under and overthinking?

We’ve all had those moments when we’ve run head-first into a situation without thinking it through. In my early 20s, I was desperate to move into my own place. I found a flat that seemed perfect and I took it, without considering whether the rent and bills were actually affordable in the long-term. I acted entirely on impulse. My desire to have my own home was at the forefront of my mind, and that was that.

A year later, I was in financial trouble, and unbelievably stressed as a result. I had to move in with my family, and felt embarrassed, ashamed, and very silly that I’d made such a massive decision without thinking about the consequences.

Acting on instinct often leads to an aftermath of negative thoughts. Should I have given the situation more thought before taking action? What if I’d done things differently? It can end in a spiral of self-doubt and criticism. I’m sure we’ve all experienced moments that we question in hindsight, but for some people this is a consistent pattern of behaviour. This is the habit of ‘underthinking’.

Who is likely to underthink?

“Underthinking, which means acting without considering consequences, can stem from neurological, psychological, and trauma-related factors,” psychotherapist Tina Chummun explains. “The brain’s ability to assess situations and predict outcomes depends heavily on the prefrontal cortex, which governs executive function, impulse control, and decision-making. When this region is underactive or overwhelmed, underthinking is more likely.”

Mental health conditions can contribute to a pattern of underthinking. People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be impulsive due to executive dysfunction, which can affect how we regulate behaviours such as impulse control. People with bipolar disorder may underthink during manic or hypomanic episodes. With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you’re more likely to react from a fight, flight, or freeze response when faced with a decision.

“Trauma survivors often engage in psychological numbing as a defence mechanism, making them less attuned to their own thought processes. This can look like underthinking, but it’s more about detachment from decision-making, rather than carelessness,” says Tina. “It’s also important to distinguish underthinking from a lack of awareness. People who have experienced severe traumas may struggle to fully perceive and interpret social cues, making them appear disengaged or impulsive. They aren’t necessarily choosing not to think – their nervous system is stuck in a protective, reactive state.”

Are there benefits to underthinking?

Underthinking isn’t always a bad tool to have in your back pocket. Consider situations that demand us to act quickly and using our instincts, like in an emergency. Underthinking stops us from worrying or overanalysing a situation, allowing us to react to a crisis in a timely manner – this could be anything from quickly switching off the water mains when a tap breaks, to jumping in to do the Heimlich manoeuvre when someone starts choking.

Another benefit to being an underthinker is that you’re less likely to stew over a dilemma, or agonise over the outcome – wasting unnecessary energy and time on something you know how to handle. The decisiveness that comes with underthinking can also allow us to take charge in difficult situations, meaning we may work well under pressure, and inspire confidence in others. In general, underthinkers are more likely to think intuitively and creatively, and focus on aspects of their life that are in their control, rather than those that aren’t.

What are the cons of underthinking?

The other side to the coin is that jumping in too quickly could have negative consequences in the aftermath. Poor decision-making could lead to stress, as the fallout of our decisions has a negative impact on our life, or causes further issues than the one we originally tried to solve.

In real terms, this might look like excitedly saying yes to going to a concert because you’ve been stressed and want to blow off some steam, only to become anxious in the lead up when you realise the full cost involved puts you over budget for the month. You might have to cancel other plans to accommodate it, and worry about letting people down.

Relationships can become strained or struggle as a knock-on effect when we put less thought into our actions and what we say, especially when we’re navigating complex or difficult times. It might be getting a reputation for overpromising and not following through, or accidentally causing offence thanks to careless remarks.

Issues with self-image can also surface as we dissect the lack of planning and forethought of our actions. We might struggle with confidence and self-esteem, and avoid social situations entirely if we begin to not trust ourselves.

How do we manage underthinking, and make it work for us?

Prioritising decisions and putting them into categories of either low or high risk can help. Often, mundane, daily decisions don’t need much thought. Deciding what to have for dinner, or what to wear, are examples where we can use underthinking to save our energy for elsewhere. Decisions we need to give more attention to are often those which will have a lasting impact on our lives. How we navigate relationships, financial decisions, and choices about our career or family life, all require introspection and thoughtful consideration before acting.

“Underthinking isn’t just about ‘not thinking’ – it’s often a brain-based response shaped by trauma, neurobiology, and mental health conditions,” Tina stresses. “Some people underthink because they don’t know they should be thinking (awareness gap), while others underthink because their brain is wired for survival, and not deep reflection. Recognising these patterns is the first step in building intentional awareness, and making better, more informed choices.”

We can help ourselves to slow down, pause, and reflect with a few easy steps:

  • Create clear goals and priorities. Who and what is important to you, and why? Think about what you really want before acting, and ask yourself questions like: ‘What will happen if I don’t act right now?’

  • Give yourself a time frame to make decisions. It could be 24 hours, or even a week for big, life-changing ones. But even for smaller things, counting to 10 before responding gives us time to process information first.

  • Journal your initial thoughts. Or, you might want to write a pros and cons list to help make sense of your choices, and analyse the consequences before committing to a course of action.

  • Explore mindfulness and grounding techniques. These help you reconnect with your conscious thoughts, such as body scanning (focusing solely your body from top to bottom, acknowledging any and all sensations, such as pain and tension), or tracking (looking around the room, observing objects, and really taking note of all the details).

Sometimes we need a bit more help. In these instances, Tina suggests therapy could help rewire thought patterns.

“Trauma-specialised therapy helps individuals understand their patterns, and build intentional decision-making skills. Neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to rewire – means that even long-standing habits of underthinking can be changed with practice,” she says. “If internal reflection is difficult, try talking through decisions with a trusted friend, therapist, or coach. External processing engages different neural pathways, making it easier to see blind spots in your thinking.”

Underthinking can have a lasting impact on our lives if left unchecked. But it is possible to use it to our advantage. The most important thing is to recognise moments when we need to be reflective and contemplate our options, and when a gut reaction is safe to act on.