This article reflects on an activity we all do however, for some, rumination seems to take over chunks of their time, their day and their life. The impacts of rumination on mood, mental clarity and spending time on things that matter is significant and it crosses over into areas such as anxiety and depression and for some, can have long-lasting impacts.
So what is Rumination?
Rumination is the habit of repeatedly going over the same distressing thoughts, worries, memories or “what if” questions. It often involves replaying conversations, analysing feelings, predicting negative outcomes, or trying to find certainty through thinking.
Although it can feel as if you are trying to solve a problem, rumination rarely leads to resolution. Instead, it keeps the nervous system in a state of threat and fuels anxiety, low mood, stress and emotional exhaustion. It can also become habitual, as a ritual that needs to be undertaken when specific thoughts that come up and therefore, it also becomes a cycle that many people with anxiety conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder get caught into.
Why Rumination Is Not Helpful
Rumination is not helpful since it increases anxiety and low mood. It also strengthens unhelpful thinking habits and it gives thoughts more power than they deserve. Rumination also keeps attention stuck in the mind rather than in the present moment and it creates mental fatigue and burnout. It may seem like it is promising some form of certainty but it ultimately delivers more doubt.
Stepping Away from Rumination
Disengaging from rumination does not mean stopping thoughts or fighting the mind. It means changing your relationship with your thoughts. This is essential to reduce the impacts of rumination going forward.
Below are some questions that you may choose to use.
Helpful questions to ask yourself:
- “Is this helping me right now?”
- “Is this improving my situation or keeping me stuck?”
- "I am doing the same things again and again in thinking about specific thoughts and what is the outcome? Is it the same painful outcome that is happening?"
Disengaging from the Thought Process
Try these simple strategies:
- Label what is happening: “This is rumination.”
- Gently postpone: “I’ll think about this later if needed.”
- Return to the present moment: notice your breathing, your feet on the floor, the sounds around you.
- Choose small meaningful action: making a drink, walking, stretching, tidying.
- You may also choose the label the ruminative process as being 'unhelpful' or 'taking you away from your day or what you want to use your life energy for'.
Reducing the Meaning of Thoughts
Thoughts are mental events, not facts, predictions, or commands. In effect, thoughts pass and if they are not wholly engaged with, they cannot have any hold on you.
Helpful responses:
- “This is just a thought.”
- “I don’t need to solve this right now.”
- “I can allow this thought to be here without engaging.”
When thoughts lose their meaning, their emotional grip softens.
REMEMBER:
Rumination is not a flaw. It is a learned response to threat. With understanding and practice, your mind can learn new ways of responding. You do not need to solve every thought to live well.
