Why rumination is ruining your health (and how to stop it)
“Ugh, I blew it,” she repeats to herself.
Andrea’s still thinking about last week’s presentation.
Sitting at her desk on a Tuesday morning, she’s got a mental video loop on repeat. It shows the moment when she lost her place; when she briefly struggled to answer a question; the nervousness she felt throughout.
Despite showing preparation and poise in the majority of the presentation, she’s dwelling on the negative. Rather than focusing on today’s growing to-do list, Andrea’s cognitively stuck. She’s ruminating.
Rumination is relentless thinking focused on one’s negative feelings and problems. Whereas reflection can be productive, and motivate us to improve, ruminating is typically self-defeating. It can even be unhealthy.
But what if we learned to stop ruminating before we go too deep?
If Andrea had the tools to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of her presentation, and then move on, she’d likely be more productive, less anxious, and better at her job overall.
With the right tools, we can nip rumination in the bud, and avoid the consequences of negative thought loops.
