Module 4 · Thinking skills · Moderate evidence

Thinking about your thinking

Noticing how you are thinking, not only what — and changing course when it isn’t working.

6 min read · Level: Intermediate · Free — no account needed to read

The idea

Metacognition is thinking about your thinking — noticing how you are thinking, not just what. “I’ve been going round in circles for twenty minutes.” “I’m assuming the worst again.” “I’m too tired to think clearly about this.”

This awareness lets you change strategy. If you notice you are ruminating rather than solving, you can switch to writing a plan or doing something else. If you notice you learn better by testing yourself than rereading, you can study differently.

It also includes knowing the limits of your own thinking: when you need more information, a break, or another person’s view. People who regularly check their thinking this way tend to learn faster and get stuck less.

Why it works

Many problems aren’t solved by thinking harder but by noticing that the current way of thinking isn’t working, and changing it.

A real example

The situation

Revising for an exam, Ana has reread her notes three times but still can’t remember much.

What happened

She steps back and asks how she is studying. Rereading feels productive but isn’t sticking. She switches to testing herself with questions, which is harder but much more effective. Her recall improves within days.

The takeaway

Noticing her method was the step that fixed her results.

Use this when you are…

• you are working hard but not getting anywhere
• you are going round in mental circles
• learning something new

Common mistakes

• Only ever thinking harder instead of thinking differently.
• Confusing effort with progress.
• Overthinking your thinking — the point is a quick check, then a change.

What the evidence says

Moderate evidence: Several studies support it, but the effects are smaller, the studies are fewer or less rigorous, or results vary between groups.

Metacognitive skills are linked with better learning in education research, and awareness of unhelpful thinking processes is part of several therapies. The benefits of teaching it as a general habit vary by setting.

Where this comes from: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) research; Evidence-based medicine and critical appraisal.

Fields that study this: Clinical psychology, Neuroscience.

Try it now: Check the method

1. Pick something you have been stuck on.
2. Describe how you have been approaching it, not the problem itself.
3. Name one different approach you could try next.

Practise with a guided technique

• Attention reset — (3–5 min · Practical evidence)
• Fact or story? — (3–5 min · Practical evidence)

Questions to think about

• What signs tell you your thinking has stopped being useful?
• Which way of learning or solving works best for you?

Try this today

Once today, when you feel stuck, ask “how am I thinking about this?” before trying harder.

Afterwards, ask yourself

When you checked your method, what did you change and did it help?

Words in this lesson

• Metacognition — Thinking about your own thinking — noticing how you are thinking, and changing approach when it isn’t working.
• Rumination — Going over and over something that has happened — especially how bad you feel — without reaching anything new.