Freedom From Rumination

Many of our daily thoughts are repetitive. We tend to think about the same things day after day, including ways to meet our basic needs, plans for our days, and our relationships. These types of repetitive thoughts aren’t problematic or cause for concern; indeed, they are how life gets done!

Other repetitive thoughts—sometimes called obsessive thoughts, looping thoughts, or rumination—are more difficult to manage and more destructive to our well-being. The American Psychiatric Association defines rumination as “repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences.”

Rumination is unhealthy because it traps us in unproductive thought loops: We feel bad, we focus on feeling bad, this makes us feel worse, and we ruminate even more. This loop of distress reduces productive processing and impairs calm, reasoned problem-solving.

The Mental Health Impacts of Rumination

Rumination takes a toll on our mental health in various ways:

• Increased anxiety and depression: Rumination is a risk factor for developing anxiety and depression, and can worsen existing conditions.
• Decreased problem-solving capacity: When we focus on problems and negative feelings, we are less able to think clearly and make skillful decisions.
• Lowered self-esteem: Negative thoughts and self-criticism can lead to low self-worth and feelings of hopelessness.
• Unhealthy coping: Attempts to numb our painful feelings often lead to increased alcohol usage, eating disorders, and social isolation.

The Physical Toll of Rumination

Rumination also creates physical consequences, such as:

• Elevated stress hormones: Rumination activates the body’s sympathetic nervous system, leading to increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this increases our risk for various conditions, including heart disease.
• Sleep disturbances: Persistent mental activity makes it challenging to fall asleep or stay asleep. This leads to fatigue and irritability, which can worsen rumination.
• Increased pain sensitivity: Rumination is linked with increased pain perception.

Immediate Strategies to Reduce Rumination

Sometimes we just need to halt the mental loop we are trapped in. For example, we might be obsessively thinking about something rude someone said to us. Or rehearsing what we’d say to someone we don’t get along with. Or perhaps there is a more serious problem, like a loved one with a chronic health condition, that we have no control over. In such situations, we can lift our minds out of these unproductive thought loops with various strategies:

• Distraction: Engage with an activity that requires your full attention, such as a creative project, conversation, or game.
• Shifting perspective: Move to a different environment (e.g., a different room), take a walk, or go to a museum for a fresh perspective.
• Deep breathing: Calm the nervous system by using box breathing (breathe in to a count of 4, hold to a count of 4, exhale to a count of 4, hold for 4).
• Grounding: Grounding strategies involve bringing our attention into the physical reality around us. For example, a common grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 skill: name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
• Positive self-talk: Often, rumination stems from envisioning worst-case scenarios or negative interpretations of events, such as “I’m so stupid” or “everyone will judge me.” We can replace these thoughts with more measured, reasonable statements like, “Everyone makes mistakes,” or “If I knew better, I’d have done better.” Whatever the specific content of our ruminations, we can find positive (or at least neutral) statements to speak to ourselves.

Proactive Strategies to Reduce Rumination

The following strategies can help prevent rumination from becoming a habit. These intentional, proactive practices improve our quality of life by reducing the time spent in negative thinking patterns:

• Identify triggers: Notice and take note of any specific situations, times, or people that trigger rumination. If possible, avoid these or be prepared to implement one of the foregoing strategies immediately afterward.
• Schedule “worry time”: Designating a specific daily time to allow our worries to be witnessed and validated can free up our minds during other times of the day.
• Shift to problem-solving: When a specific thought keeps popping up, we can break the situation down into the aspects within our control and those outside our control. We can actively choose to let go of what we can’t control and brainstorm manageable steps toward a resolution for those we can control. This process helps shift our focus from the problem to the solution.
• Journal: Sometimes we just need to get our worries or frustrations out of our brains. Journaling is a safe, effective way to process our emotions and gain clarity.
• Seek social support: Sharing our worries with a trusted friend or loved one can help validate our feelings and unburden our minds.
• Prioritize healthy habits: When thoughts are troubling us, it helps to focus on getting adequate sleep, appropriate nutrition, and meaningful daily movement to support our mental well-being.

Mindfulness Strategies

Mindfulness-based practices help our brains reduce rumination and increase thought patterns that are more calming and productive. Over time, these strategies train our brains to more readily move into the present moment:

• Mindful Breathing: This technique is simply the practice of focusing our attention entirely on the sensation of the breath for 5 to 10 minutes. When thoughts arise, we greet them with friendliness and allow them to pass.
• Body Scan: This practice involves bringing our attention to physical sensations throughout the body. It may help to start at the toes and move upward, pausing to notice sensations in each location along the way.
• Mindful Walking: Mindful walking is the act of walking slowly with awareness of physical sensations. We may notice the pressure under our feet, the sensation of the air on our skin, the shift of weight from one foot to the other, etc. When we focus on being curious and present, our brain experiences the simple act of walking in a new way.

Getting Support

Often, when we try to change our thinking patterns, we realize it’s no easy task! Getting professional support can be helpful. A therapist can help us master the foregoing techniques, offer validation of our emotions, provide support and encouragement for our efforts, and give feedback on our progress.

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To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.