Rumination can have a very negative effect on an individual’s life if it continues for a long period of time. When an individual is ruminating they will experience a lot of repetitive thoughts racing through their minds and feel unable to stop these thought processes. Lynn et al (2010) describe rumination as “repetitive and passive thinking that dominates attention.”
What causes rumination?
There are many things that can cause rumination and stress is one of the biggest factors. However, other causes of rumination include:
*Having depression.
*Suffering from anxiety.
*Suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
*Relationship issues.
*A traumatic event.
*Suffering from low self-esteem.
*Being a perfectionist.
*Being in an unhealthy relationship.
Signs you are ruminating
Some people are not aware at first that they are ruminating. However, over time when the obsessive thoughts won’t go away, individuals begin to realise that their thought processes are interfering with their daily life. Below are some indicators that you are ruminating:
*Having an inability to concentrate because your mind is racing.
*Excessive thinking about an individual event that is happening in the present.
*Continually thinking over a situation or event and imagining a different outcome than the one that actually happened.
*Repeating conversations over and over in your mind.
*Feeling even worse after spending a long time thinking about whatever has upset you.
*Loss of appetite.
*Feeling depressed and anxious.
*Feeling ‘stuck.’
*Obsessing over negative events that happened in the past.
Ways to overcome rumination
The key to overcoming rumination and stopping our brains from overthinking is to distract oneself from the thoughts and to change thought patterns. This can be achieved through actions such as these:
*Journalling – writing all of your thoughts and feelings down can help you process what you are going through and getting your racing thoughts down on paper will help to release the thoughts from your mind.
*Go for a walk in nature – walking and exercise are good techniques to help combat rumination, but a study carried out in 2014 discovered that people who walked for 50 minutes in the countryside rather than in an urban area reported fewer symptoms of rumination. (Gregory N. Bratman et el, 2014)
*Practise meditation and mindfulness – Meditation and mindfulness help an individual focus on the present and their surroundings rather than their negative thoughts and the past.
*Work on ways to increase your self-esteem – Try to find ways to increase your self-esteem such as taking up a new hobby or interest.
*Find a good therapist – Some people may need professional help to overcome rumination. CBT, for example, is very effective as it teaches the individual thought-stopping skills that interrupt the process of rumination and helps them identify the negative thought patterns.
