(Read Time: 1 Minute)
Have you heard of the term ruminating?
In psychology, it refers to the continuous thinking of the causes and consequences of a negative experience.
Why do we do it?
Well first off, most people end up ruminating because they think it can solve their problems. Our minds are designed to analyze, process, and solve problems…
So at its root, ruminating is just a symptom of our brains doing what they’re supposed to.
However, when we get stuck ruminating on the things that we can’t change, like a computer gets stuck in a loop, our mental health suffers.
Ruminating can quickly spiral into anxiety if it’s left unchecked… and when we get caught up in it we need to change our way of thinking.
In order to combat ruminating, you have to learn how to recognize it as soon as it starts and redirect your train of thought elsewhere.
Practicing mindfulness regularly can help increase awareness and nip ruminating in the bud.
Take some time to really examine your thoughts. What started the thought process that’s bringing you down? What fed the fire?
When you take a look at the thought process that led to being stuck in rumination, you might discover a pattern of thoughts that are repetitive as well as negative…
And, you may be able to find certain “triggers” that set this chain of unproductive and distressing thoughts into motion.
Once you have discovered this, you can learn to not only detect when ruminating is coming up and stop it before it starts…
And also learn to successfully combat rumination by identifying the tell-tale signs that your thoughts are heading in a direction you don’t want them to go!
