The Upside of Rumination

I did something rather unusual last weekend whilst driving to the gym. I noticed that I hadn’t listened to a word of the podcast playing in my car, so I decided to turn it off and let my mind ruminate. Given that I am such an advocate of mindful, somatic awareness, and my usual practice would be to redirect my thinking into my body, this course of action felt almost rebellious. But something made me pause and simply observe where my thoughts wanted to go.

My mind was running scenarios, the conversation I might have, and the situations I could navigate. And, to my surprise, instead of the expected tightness, constriction, and agitation I would associate with destructive mind loops, I felt a little different. A sense of empowerment and control seemed to emerge.

Rumination and Control

We’re generally told that rumination is bad—a perspective I would endorse for the most part. And, there’s good reason for this rationale. Chronic rumination is strongly associated with depression, increased anxiety, and psychological distress. However, there is recent research that suggests there might be more going on.

Psychologists Leonard Martin and Abraham Tesser (1996) have proposed an interesting framework called Control Theory. They suggest that rumination can serve a positive function of attempting to solve the gap between where we are and where we want to be when looking at important goals.

Research distinguishes two types of rumination. Reflection rumination is the process of mentally rehearsing scenarios—this is when we imagine specific steps towards achieving a goal. Brooding rumination is where we passively dwell on negativity and distress. Studies show that reflective rumination is adaptive and can help us regain equilibrium, while brooding can leave us feeling worse (Treynor et al., 2003).

When working with clients, I offer a simple lens through which to assess our thinking. Is it constructive or destructive? Constructive thinking is when we are moving towards an outcome, resolving challenges, and successfully moving towards our goals and outcomes. There is an endpoint. Destructive thinking is when we get caught in a loop of brooding and churning.

Research on mental simulation—rehearsing future scenarios—demonstrates improved self-efficacy and performance when we imagine specific steps towards achieving a goal (Pham & Taylor, 1999). This “process simulation” is a cognitive tool that helps us prepare for action.

When Mental Rehearsal Serves Us

Let me invite you to imagine a common scenario. You’ve had a conflict with a colleague, and the situation will remain unresolved until next week’s team meeting. Over the course of the week, your mind keeps returning to the conversation you had and the upcoming conversation you are about to have. You consider what you might say and how you’ll handle the responses.

Is this rumination destructive? Possibly not.

If your thinking involves rehearsing scenarios where you are empowered and have agency—evaluating responses, clarifying your needs, and anticipating obstacles—you are engaged in what researchers would call adaptive rumination. You are creating mental models where you regain control even though the current reality feels powerless.

However, in order for us to meet the criteria for positive rumination, there are three conditions we need to satisfy.

1. The rumination has a target. This means we are preparing for a specific situation or outcome.
2. Rehearsal includes our actions. If we are replaying what others said or what we think they should do, we become passive and agency dissipates, leading to negative loops. Considering our actions and words is outcome-oriented, which leads us to the final point.
3. Our thinking has a natural endpoint. Our rumination needs to lead somewhere. This could be a decision or a greater sense of preparedness.

If these conditions are not met, we find ourselves spiralling, looping, and brooding with little to no agency, replaying rather than rehearsing.

Your Body Knows the Difference

I’m frequently asked how we identify the difference. My response is to invite clients to feel and notice what real-time feedback they experience through the body.

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When we are caught in destructive brooding, internal discomfort increases. The body feels tense and constricted, and the mind feels foggy. Agitation, frustration, or fear can arise as signals from the body that you are stuck in a loop with little to no forward motion.

Constructive rumination is preparation to reclaim agency. This feels somatically different. Constriction and tension ease, and a greater sense of empowerment and clarity begin to return. You might also notice subtle shifts in your energy and a growing sense that you’re moving towards a solution, gaining ground rather than losing it.

Putting It Into Practice

Here’s the practical method I use with clients that I invite you to try. When you notice your mind begin to ruminate, give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to let your mind run. Stay connected to your thinking and avoid letting yourself become passive. Every now and then, check in with your body and notice:

• Is tension increasing or dissipating?
• Do I feel lighter or more constricted?
• Am I rehearsing scenarios that lead to an outcome or endpoint, or replaying ones where I am passive or a “victim”?
• Do I feel clearer or more foggy?

If your body signals distress, you are probably looping with little progress. This is your cue to shift. Redirect attention away from thinking, move your body, engage in something absorbing to distract yourself from the brooding loops. If, however, you do feel a greater sense of control and progress, let the process continue for a limited time.

The Caveats

If you are currently challenged with anxiety or depression, engaging in adaptive rumination and constructive thinking can be extremely challenging, even problematic. Thinking is likely to resort to brooding patterns, and somatic signals may be difficult to detect. In these instances, a first step is cultivating more effective and efficient nervous system regulation. This can be where a therapist can be of assistance.

Some situations warrant letting go rather than ongoing mental rehearsal. When circumstances lie completely beyond your control and no amount of preparation will help, rumination is unlikely to serve in a positive way. The wisdom lies in knowing the difference.

My Invitation

Thinking is an inevitable part of life. We don’t control the thoughts that pop into our heads, but we do have agency over what thoughts we give attention to. As a colleague once said to me, thoughts are like trains arriving at a station. You can stand on the platform and watch them go by, knowing that another will arrive and depart just as quickly, or you can jump on board and be taken on a journey.

The next time you notice yourself slipping into rumination, move into a space of curiosity. Question yourself: Is this helping me prepare? Am I taking control? Am I rehearsing scenarios where I have agency? What is my body telling me?

Much of the rumination we engage in won’t serve us and will leave us feeling worse. However, the key is to learn to distinguish between constructive and destructive thinking, adaptive rumination as opposed to brooding. Your body, if you listen carefully, will tell you the difference.