What is rumination and how to stop analyzing everything

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Obsessive thoughts can lead to serious negative consequences.

What is rumination

We all sometimes endlessly ponder something: a long-held presentation of a working project, yesterday's quarrel with the other half, a toast that we agreed to make at a friends' wedding. Yes, and the quarterly report on the nose. We go over in our head what should have been said, or we try to plan everything down to the smallest detail.

In most cases, this is relatively safe and no more stressful than an annoying song in your head. But there are people who simply cannot stop thinking things over. And this creates even greater experiences.

This overwhelming habit of rethinking everything is called rumination, or mental gum. Repetitive experiences, when a person endlessly scrolls the same situation in his head, resemble the process of chewing grass by cows.

They chew, swallow, then regurgitate and chew again. This is a normal process for them. Well, we humans are constantly "chewing" our disturbing thoughts. And this is not good.

Rumination doesn't do any good, it just steals time and energy. It is so exhausting that it makes a person more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, at the same time being a symptom of these conditions.

Regardless of whether we can change what happened or predict something, our brains sometimes fixate on trying to control the uncontrollable. And as a result, a depressed person reflects on the losses and mistakes of the past, and an anxious hostage of rumination drowns in the “what if?” Questions, while always drawing a negative outcome in his imagination.

As a rule, most complex issues are resolved through careful thought and weighing. But rumination is simply the repetition of thoughts (often negative ones) without trying to look at the problem from a different point of view.

Rumination does not provide an opportunity to get a different idea or understanding of the problem. She just twists you like a hamster stuck in a wheel of emotional anguish.

Guy Winch psychologist, psychology author, TED speaker

What harm do obsessive thoughts do?

Inclined to pessimism

Usually, you don't think about the good things for a long time, but focus on the bad ones. You don’t remember how you managed to sort out the situation at the last moment or make a good joke, but for a long time and persistently you go through the negative in your head.

And thoughts are obsessive. They constantly pop up in the mind, it is very difficult to get rid of them. Especially when thinking about something really upsets and worries.

They provoke the development of serious diseases

Guy Winch, in his book Emotional First Aid: Healing Rejection, Guilt, Failure, and Other Everyday Hurts, argues that returning to anxious reflections is like constantly picking up emotional wounds, preventing them from healing. Every time we have that very thought, it causes anxiety, and stress hormones are released in the body in huge quantities.

We can languish for several hours and days in our sad thoughts and thereby introduce ourselves into a state of physical and emotional stress. As a result, the habit of constant reflection significantly increases the risk of developing clinical depression, impaired decision-making ability, eating disorders, substance abuse, and even cardiovascular disease.

Negatively affects the brain

Margaret Wehrenberg, a psychologist and author of books on combating anxiety and depression, claims that constant repetitive thinking leads to changes in the neural connections in the brain.

“Rumination actually changes its structure, just as a footpath turns first into a carriageway, and then into a wide highway with a large number of exits. And each time it becomes easier and easier to immerse yourself in reflections."

Do not give distraction

At some point, rumination becomes a habitual way of thinking. And in the end, it is difficult to switch to something else. Anyone who thinks, “If I just think about it long enough, I’ll figure it out,” makes a mistake. After all, the more familiar the thought, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.

How to stop thinking things over

Practice mindfulness

As with many mental health issues, mindfulness always helps. The first step is to identify which of your thoughts are intrusive and mentally mark them as dangerous.

When a thought repeats itself frequently - or begins to do so - Winch says, you need to cling to it and turn it into a task that will help solve the problem.

For example, convert the phrase “I can't believe this happened” into “What can I do to prevent this from happening again?”. "I have no close friends!" - in "What steps to take to strengthen relationships with friends and find new ones?"

Stop bad thoughts from the beginning

Prepare a supply of positive affirmations. For example, "I am trying my best" or "I will be supported if need be."

According to Werenberg, in order to prevent a recurring thought from returning to its usual path, you need to "erase the trail", that is, plan what to think about instead.

Sounds simple, but it's one of those things that are easy to understand and difficult to do.

Get distracted to break out of the vicious circle

Winch advises redirecting your attention to something that requires focus. Get distracted for 2-3 minutes: pick up a puzzle, complete a memory task. Any activity that requires concentration will be enough to get rid of the irresistible craving for obsessive thoughts.

If you get distracted every time such a thought appears, then the frequency and intensity with which it pops up in the mind will decrease.

Keep a diary where you will splash out your worries

It might seem odd to suggest giving your obsessive thoughts even more attention. But writing them down is helpful. Especially for those who often cannot fall asleep due to reflection.

In this case, put your notebook and pen by the bed and write down what haunts you. Then tell yourself that since these thoughts are now on paper, you will definitely not forget them. And now you can take a break from them for a while.

Get help

Mindfulness meditation and cognitive techniques most often help people take control of their own thinking. But there are times when a person still cannot cope with a problem alone.

If you feel that obsessive thoughts are seriously interfering with your life, you should contact a professional.