Literal translation
to wind up one's own head
Meaning
to get carried away, work oneself up
Explanation
The expression means working oneself up, gradually building toward a state of excitement, anger, or worry disproportionate to the actual situation. Literally, se mounta la tèsto translates as to wind up one's own head, a phrase identical to its French counterpart and perfectly transparent: the image evokes a mechanism being wound like a spring, the mind heating itself up until it runs away with its own thoughts. The verb mounta carries the sense of raising, making something climb, used here figuratively to name a mental state. The register is common, used both to describe negative self persuasion, a worry that swells out of proportion through overthinking, and to name excessive enthusiasm that pushes someone into rash action. It often appears as a warning, inviting someone to calm down before drawing hasty conclusions from poorly controlled inner agitation.