Stop ruminating!
Nov 13, 2024When it comes to mental health, studies consistently show you need to disrupt rumination—the loop tape of negative thoughts that repeat in your mind without beginning or end. While some repetitive thinking can be productive, leading to problem solving or insights, too much is unproductive. Thinking about your problems over and over can be depressing and rehashing worries is anxiety provoking.
Rumination not only contributes to the development of a variety of clinical conditions including depression, generalized anxiety, and OCD, it also helps to maintain them.
So, why do so many people ruminate despite its negative effects on mood? One reason is that many people have positive beliefs about rumination. They believe it helps them with problem solving, enhances performance, and increases understanding.
Another reason is that rumination enables people to avoid activities and emotions they would rather not deal with. For example, by lying in bed thinking in the morning you can avoid starting your day and the associated fears. By thinking about problems over and over you can avoid taking steps to actually solve them. By thinking about the future you can avoid emotions in the present.
The good news is there are ways to break the rumination habit. Here are some tips
First, cultivate awareness of the situations that lead to ruminating. Many people ruminate in the morning after awakening or during the commute home from work. Then, plan a couple alternative activities to do in those situations to disrupt rumination, e.g., listen to music, get out of bed and exercise.
Another tried and true way to disrupt rumination is practicing mindfulness. Shift the focus of your awareness away from the repetitive thoughts in your head and anchor is some aspect of present experience, i.e., the sounds you hear, the sensations you feel, the things you see.
If you still find yourself ruminating, try the 2-minute rule. After 2 minutes of ruminating, ask yourself these questions
- Is rumination enhancing my understanding of a problem or situation?
- Am I making progress in solving it?
- Do I feel less depressed?
If the answer to all of these is a resounding no, stop ruminating!
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Dr. Lisa Napolitano is an expert in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other mindfulness-based treatments. A licensed psychologist in New York and Florida, she is the Founder and Director of CBT/DBT Associates, a boutique psychology practice group. Dr. Napolitano is an expert in the treatment of stress, anxiety, worry, and emotion regulation problems. She has specifically designed her treatment approach for executives, attorneys, and other high-functioning individuals whom she believes shouldn’t have to sacrifice their careers to manage their stress and work on developing their potential.