Rumination is cyclical thinking. Rumination can lead to pain and suffering because a singular thought can get stuck and cause the individual significant distress. It has been described as overthinking, repeatedly dwelling, and leading to stickiness in thought patterns.
Rumination occurs across the spectrum of mental health diagnosis; from generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder to depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Rumination may also occur in individuals who have not received a mental health diagnosis.
If you are struggling with rumination – you are not alone and we see you in this.
At Anchored Counseling Co., we are dedicated to providing a safe harbor for all of life’s challenges. The purpose of this blog is to provide you with three practical and compassionate ways to lessen your ruminative behavior.
1. Cultivate Awareness
Oftentimes, rumination can feel very habitual. To reduce rumination, we gently encourage you to cultivate awareness for when the rumination is happening.
Begin by asking yourself: What am I ruminating on? When does my rumination most occur; is it during a specific time of day, day of the week, or month? How am I getting stuck?
Ask yourself: Is there a theme to my rumination? You may get stuck on others not approving of you, dwelling on perceived failures, or worrying constantly about the future.
Get curious about the cost and consequences of engaging in the rumination. Does it lead you to being less present with your loved ones? Do you find yourself missing gaps of time throughout the day? Does your worry cause more fear?
As you deepen your awareness of your ruminative behavior, we invite you to explore with kindness, rather than judgement and shame.
2. Practice Separating from Your Thoughts
The practice of separating from your thoughts is known as cognitive diffusion in the therapeutic space. Cognitive diffusion is a beautiful way to create pause and space between ourselves and our thoughts.
Adding “I notice” before your thought can be a powerful and effective way to practice cognitive diffusion.
Perhaps you have had the thought that you are not good at your job, rather than staying stuck on “I am bad at my job,” we invite you to implement, “I notice I am thinking I am bad at my job.” Maybe you are ruminating over feeling like you are not a good mom, we encourage you to practice, “I notice I am thinking I am a bad mom.”
Another way to practice cognitive diffusion is to picture your thoughts as clouds going by. You do not need to grab onto them or overly attach their meaning.
These strategies come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a therapy that emphasizes living in accordance with your values. When you practice cognitive diffusion, you will have more space, time, and energy to live life full of intention, joy, peace, and authentic connection.
3. Implement Non-Engagement
We have three levels of thoughts:
- Awareness
- Attention
- Engagement
When a thought enters our mind, we are aware of it. We do not necessarily have control over this. Attention is where we start to grab onto the thought. Engagement is where we start to really focus on the thought.
Typically, when we are in the place of engagement, it is not supportive to our mental health. When we are engaging with a thought, we begin to look for evidence for and against the thought. When we are engaging with rumination specifically, we tend to get stuck on unsolvable problems.
Viktor Frankl, a neurologist and psychologist, said, “Between stimuli and response we have choice.”
Just as you imagined your thoughts as clouds going by, picture your thoughts as a train passing by. You get to choose whether or not you board the train.
At Anchored Counseling Co., we believe you have the strength and resilience to make decisions that are supportive to your mental health. Rather than trying to answer unanswerable questions, we invite you to practice non-engagement.
Non-engagement looks like: I do not know, maybe, I do not have to figure this out right now. Implementing these phrases can lend to present focused awareness and help you move through rumination.
Our hope for you is that you can manage and move through your rumination with kindness and discover mental peace.
To further support you, please explore the additional resources below to cultivate compassion and hope.
Additional Resources
Worrying is Optional:
If you are struggling with overthinking, we recommend Worrying is Optional by Ben Eckstein, a licensed social worker. In this book, he shares insights to break the cycle of anxiety and rumination. It is educational, practical, and shares skills from different therapy modalities.
Empowering Affirmation:
“I may not be able to control my thoughts, however, I have the strength to choose when I engage with them.”
Becoming Anchored in Hope,
Laura
LPC-MHSP, CEDS-C, ACS, NCC
Owner + Director
Laura is committed to guiding individuals along their path to mental wellness and has carefully gathered a team of skilled, knowledgeable, and committed therapists at Anchored Counseling Co. to assist in this mission.
The professionals here create an environment that is supportive and affirmed, informed by an understanding of trauma. At Anchored Counseling Co., there’s a shared belief in the fundamental worth of each person, and therapy is delivered with warmth and empathy. The therapeutic philosophy here is built on the premise that every client has the natural ability to enact meaningful and enduring change in their life.
To connect with a therapist who aligns with your unique needs, please contact our office at 615.510.3797 or contact us here.
