Overcoming Rumination to Decrease Anxiety
Honest therapist moment. A few years ago, I was upset over something random and replayed every aspect of the situation over and over again. Then, I had a stark realization. I believed the constant replay in my mind meant that I was engaging in strategic self-reflection and planning. After all, I was a therapist and therapists self-reflect, they don't ruminate. The reality was that my rumination was camouflaged as self-reflection. My mind tricked me into believing I was reflecting, not spinning in circles. When I began to differentiate between self-reflection and rumination, I realized why I was so anxious! Although they might sound and feel similar in our minds, they are very different and have distinct effects on our mental state. Rumination increases anxiety and self-reflection decreases anxiety. In this blog, we'll explore what rumination and self-reflection are and how they affect us. We will identify concrete ways to reduce rumination and increase self-reflection.
What is Rumination?
Rumination is when you repeatedly think about the same negative or distressing thoughts. You are on a hamster wheel or fidget spinner. You are moving but going nowhere. Imagine you made a mistake, and instead of moving on, you keep thinking about it over and over. You might wonder why it happened, what you could have done differently, or worry about what others think of you. This repetitive thinking can become a habit, making it hard to focus on anything else. Rumination can also turn into intrusive thinking or be the result of intrusive thoughts.
Example of Rumination: Let's say you failed a test. If you ruminate, you might keep thinking, "I'm so stupid. How could I fail? I'll never succeed." It might feel like these thoughts help you find a solution but they actually keep you stuck! They make you feel worse and can lead to symptoms of anxiety, OCD or depression.
What is Self-Reflection?
Self-reflection is a more productive way of thinking about your experiences. It involves looking back at events and considering what you can learn from them. Self-reflection helps you understand your actions and emotions without getting stuck in a negative loop!
Example of Self-Reflection: Using the same example of failing a test, self-reflection would involve thinking, "I didn't do well on this test. Why did that happen? Did I study enough? What can I do differently next time?" This approach focuses on learning and improvement, rather than dwelling on failure. Once you have reflected on the changes you need to make, you no longer dwell on the event in your mind!
How Do I Tell The Difference?
Purpose:
Rumination: Can be an avoidance strategy that leads to increased stress and anxiety.
Self-Reflection: Aims to understand and learn from past experiences to improve future outcomes.
Emotional Impact:
Rumination: Tends to make you feel worse! It increases symptoms of trauma, anxiety, OCD, and depression.
Self-Reflection: Can be empowering and calming! It helps you feel more in control and optimistic about making positive changes.
Outcome:
Rumination: Rarely leads to solutions or new understanding.
Self-Reflection: Often leads to insights and actionable steps for improvement.
Stinkin’ Thinking
When you keep thinking about negative or distressing things without any resolution, it can:
Increase Stress: Constantly thinking about problems can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed out. It can create or worsen problems in your life such as difficulty sleeping!
Cause Anxiety and Depression: Rumination is linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression! When your mind is only focused on negative thoughts, it's hard to see anything good in the world.
Hurt Relationships: If you're always focused on negative thoughts, it can be hard to connect with others and maintain healthy relationships.
Reduce Productivity: It's difficult to focus on tasks and be productive when your mind is stuck on negative thoughts.
How to Practice Self-Reflection
Self-reflection involves thinking about your experiences in a constructive way. Here are some steps to effectively practice self-reflection:
Set Aside Time: Find a quiet moment each day to reflect on your day. This can be before bed or during a quiet time in the afternoon. It can be helpful to set a timer on your phone or do it at the same time each time so it becomes a habit!
Ask Yourself Questions: Use questions to reflect upon your day and help you learn! For example:
What went well today?
What didn’t go as planned?
What can I do differently next time?
Write It Down: Keeping a journal can help you organize your thoughts and see your progress over time. Write about your experiences and what you’ve learned from them.
Be Kind to Yourself: Remember that everyone makes mistakes. The goal is to learn, not to criticize yourself. Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a friend.
Focus on Solutions: Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, think about what you can do to improve. This keeps your reflection positive and forward-thinking.
Tips to Avoid Rumination
Since rumination can be harmful, it’s important to know how to avoid it. It takes practice but there are concrete things you can do to reduce rumination!
Set Time Limits: If you need to think about a problem, set a time limit. Spend 10-15 minutes thinking about it, then move on to something else. This can help prevent you from getting stuck in a loop.
Distract Yourself: Engage in pleasant activities that take your mind off negative thoughts or intrusive thoughts, like reading a book, going for a walk, or spending time with friends.
Challenge Negative Thoughts: When you notice you're ruminating, challenge those thoughts. Ask yourself if they are really true and if there is another way to look at the situation.
Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is about being present in the moment. It can help break the cycle of rumination! Try focusing on what’s happening now instead of past mistakes or worries about the future.
Seek Support: Talking about your worries with a friend or anxiety therapist can help stop the cycle of rumination.
Begin Anxiety Treatment in Detroit
While rumination traps us in negative thinking and can harm our well-being, self-reflection allows us to learn from our experiences and grow. Remember, it's okay to think about the past, but it's important to do it in a way that helps us move forward. If you need extra support breaking the rumination cycle, we can help at Embodied Wellness, PLLC. We have anxiety therapists who are here to help you stop ruminating and start self-reflecting! Follow these three easy steps to get started:
Be matched with one of our anxiety therapists in Detroit
Live a life free from worry and anxiety
Other Online Therapy Services We Provide in Michigan
At Embodied Wellness, PLLC we offer a variety of holistic treatment services for adults and teens with trauma, depression, and OCD. We specialize in many forms of trauma therapy including Somatic therapy such as Somatic Experiencing, DBT, CBT, ERP, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR therapy. We offer online therapy in Michigan. We offer Spanish therapy in Detroit.
About the Author:
Sarah Rollins, LMSW, SEP is the founder of Embodied Wellness, PLLC, a group therapy practice providing online therapy in Michigan. She is passionate about expanding awareness of somatic therapy as a way to treat and heal trauma. She incorporates other holistic treatments into her practice including EMDR and IFS.