Actor stuck and over-intellectualizing: physical notes to snap them out of it?

Hey everyone,

Amara Okafor here, currently deep in post on a doc about community activism, but I'm thinking ahead to my next narrative project. I've been doing some prep reading and a common mistake highlighted is giving vague notes like 'make it better.' I completely agree; it's useless.

While working on a short recently, I had an actor who kept getting stuck in his head, over-thinking every line, and it just flattened his performance. I tried guiding him back to the character's core motivation, but it felt like he was just getting more 'analytical' rather than 'present.' He's a brilliant actor, but sometimes the mental gears just grind.

So, my question for those with more experience directing actors: What are some go-to 'mirror notes' or really practical, physical tasks you can give an actor when they are visibly stuck and over-intellectualizing a scene? I'm looking for something that can snap them out of their head and back into their body and the immediate moment of the scene.