stop ruminating thoughts
You are replaying the saaaaame negative or troubling thought in your head over and over…and over again. You are distressed or embarrassed about something and it’s all your brain is fixated on, like its own version of a Netflix series that it can’t stop binge watching. Only you want to hit the stop button because this isn’t the new season of The White Lotus or Wednesday.
Ruminating thoughts are repetitive, persistent, and negative ones that begin to dominate your thought process. When you ruminate, the default mode network (DMN) — the part of the brain involved in self-reflection and mind-wandering — gets stuck in a looping pattern. The amygdala portion of the brain becomes more active, increasing stress and fear, while the prefrontal cortex region responsible for focus and control struggles to quiet things down.
This guide provides strategies to break the cycle and and reclaim ownership over your brain’s remote control.
Call It Out: When looping, tell yourself “I’m ruminating”--out loud if you have to. Simply recognizing the pattern can break it up. Take a breath then tell yourself “letting it go.”
Shift Your Focus: Redirect to something engaging–a hobby, conversation, game, cooking, playing with a pet, talking to a neighbor.
Do Something Physical: Physical activity is especially effective at breaking rumination. Go ahead, put on that rucksack...on your way to the pickleball court.
Challenge the Thought: Ask yourself "Is this thought useful?" "Can I reframe this thought?" "What would I tell a friend with the same thought if we were sitting at the beach right now?"
Ground Yourself in the Present: Simple breathing techniques like the 4-4-8 method (inhale for four seconds, pause for four, exhale through your mouth for 8) can help halt the loop.
Journaling: Write it out—sometimes putting your thoughts on paper helps your brain release them. After writing, close the notebook...preferably with some ooomph... as a symbolic pause.
Faith or Values-Based Approach: Prayer, meditation, or repeating a comforting verse/scripture/mantra can help calm repetitive thoughts and offer perspective.
Despite your best efforts to interrupt a rumination loop, you may find the thoughts continuing to occur intermittently over the next day or two. Know that this can happen. You may also need to ensure adequate sleep, nutrition and hydration to support the process. IMPORTANT: If rumination is frequent and overwhelming and tends to persist beyond 1-2 days (especially if tied to anxiety or depression), consider talking with a therapist to build deeper strategies.
Joy, Loon Rising, LLC
References & Resources:
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 504–511.
Watkins, E. R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163–206.
Bishop, S. R. et al. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241.
Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) – www.nbhwc.org
American Psychological Association – resources on rumination and coping strategies.
