What Is Rumination?
Let’s start with the basics: what is rumination? Rumination is the act of thinking about the same thoughts over and over again, especially when those thoughts are upsetting or disturbing. Specifically, emotional rumination means getting stuck in repetitive thoughts about our feelings, worries, or past experiences. This cycle can make it hard to move forward or find solutions. In short, when you catch yourself replaying the same worries in your mind, that’s rumination.
Why Do People Ruminate?
We might wonder, what is rumination’s purpose? People often ruminate because they’re searching for answers or trying to solve problems. Sometimes, stress, anxiety, or past trauma can trigger these repetitive thoughts. Many want to understand what went wrong or how to prevent the same thing from happening again. Unfortunately, this process can make us feel stuck rather than helping us move on. Often people feel frustrated within themselves for ruminating.
What Causes People to Ruminate?
Just as a cow ruminates by chewing its cud over and over to digest it more thoroughly, people tend to “chew” on certain events in their minds, hoping to process and understand them better each time. This mental replay can happen for a variety of reasons, and often, each pass through these thoughts brings up new emotions or perspectives—even if it doesn’t always bring relief. In fact, rumination is linked to depression and anxiety. It can help understand what is rumination and what causes it.
- Traumatic Events: Experiencing trauma can leave a lasting emotional impact, making it common for people to revisit and re-examine the details in an attempt to make sense of what happened. Sometimes people become hypervigilant and ruminate about things that may go wrong in order to protect themselves from re experiencing a trauma.
- Break Ups: The end of a relationship often leads to rumination as individuals replay conversations, wonder what went wrong, and contemplate what they could have done differently.
- Disagreements with People: Arguments or conflicts with friends, family, or coworkers can trigger repetitive thoughts as we try to understand the other person’s perspective or craft the “perfect” response.
- Losing a Job: Job loss can spark self-doubt and worry, leading people to dwell on the reasons for their dismissal and their uncertain future.
- Grief: The loss of a loved one may cause people to revisit memories and “what if” scenarios, remorse for the situation as they search for meaning and a way to cope with their feelings.
In all these situations, rumination is the mind’s way of trying to “digest” life’s hardest moments, just as a cow gradually digests its food. Unfortunately, this process doesn’t always bring comfort and can sometimes make moving on more difficult.
The Default Mode Network and Rumination
Now, let’s explore the brain’s role in what is rumination. The default mode network is a group of brain regions that becomes active when our minds are at rest and not focused on the outside world. It is strongly linked to what is rumination because this network encourages self-focused thinking and replaying past events. Studies show that overactivity in the default mode network is connected to both rumination and depression. This means that when we ruminate, our brains are literally wired to keep us in that loop, making it hard to break free.
How to Potentially Stop Ruminating
While rumination can feel overwhelming, there are practical steps you can take to interrupt the cycle and regain a sense of control. Here are five strategies you can try:
- Set a Timer on Ruminating: Give yourself a fixed period—say, ten minutes—to think about what’s on your mind. Once the timer goes off, consciously shift your attention to another activity. This helps you acknowledge your feelings without letting them take over your whole day.
- Practice Mindfulness: Engage in mindful breathing or meditation to anchor yourself in the present moment. This can help redirect your focus away from repetitive thoughts and towards your immediate surroundings.
- Write Down Your Thoughts: Journalling can help externalize worries and clarify what’s bothering you. Putting your thoughts on paper often makes them feel less overwhelming and easier to manage.
- Engage in Physical Activity: Go for a walk, do some yoga, or participate in a sport. Physical movement releases endorphins and provides a healthy distraction from negative thinking patterns.
- Talk to Someone You Trust: Sharing your feelings with a friend, family member, or therapist can offer new perspectives and emotional support, helping you break out of the rumination loop.
Trying these strategies may help you stop ruminating and pave the way for a calmer, more balanced mindset.
How Therapy Can Help
Thankfully, there is hope. Therapy can teach us strategies to manage rumination. Cognitive behavioural therapy, for example, helps identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns. Another approach is brainspotting therapy, which uses focused attention and eye positions to process emotional pain. This method helps the brain work through stuck thoughts and feelings, offering relief from rumination. Using techniques to process trauma and dysfunctional relationships with tools like brainspotting therapy is very helpful to potentially reduce rumination over time. Therapists can guide us to develop healthier ways to cope, so what is rumination becomes less of a challenge in daily life.
Conclusion
In summary, what is rumination? It’s a pattern of repetitive, often negative thoughts that can affect our mood and well-being. We ruminate for many reasons, from stress to trying to solve problems. The brain’s default mode network plays a big role in keeping these thoughts going, sometimes linking rumination to depression. However, therapy—including brainspotting—can make a real difference. By understanding what is rumination and seeking help, we take important steps toward a calmer, healthier mind.
About
Heather Caruso is a compassionate, skilled, and intuitive therapist. She is a registered Canadian art therapist, registered psychotherapist, narcissistic abuse therapist, specializing in trauma counseling and adult children of narcissistic, dysfunctional and or emotionally immature parents. She offers a unique blend of therapeutic approaches to help her clients navigate their healing journeys. Heather’s deep empathy and expertise create a safe and nurturing environment for those dealing with a mental health issue. Her areas of expertise are anxiety, depression, grief, low self esteem, stress management, trauma, PTSD and navigating big life changes. Heather offers one on one sessions for people from Ontario.
To support individuals in finding the right therapeutic path for their unique needs, she offers a free Zoom chat where people can ask questions and determine if her therapy services are a good fit for their needs. To book an appointment, call the office at 519 830 7123 or use this link to contact us.