Rumination involves repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences.
If you are in bed, but your mind is replaying the conversation you had with your boss, with no solution and you’re stuck in this loop of the same scene over and over – that is rumination.
Causes:
- Comparisons
- Fear of failure
- Performance pressure
- Overthinking
- Burnout
- Self doubt
Long-term rumination is linked with:
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depression
- Reduced concentration
- Poor academic performance
- Sleep disturbances
- Low confidence and motivation
Instead of solving problems, rumination magnifies them.
Breaking the Rumination cycle:
- Distraction- exercise,music, talking to friends
- Mindfulness and relaxation - deep breathing, meditation
- Positive self talk- replacing negative loops with affirmation
- Focusing on solution instead of problems.
- Taking breaks from social media.
Reflection can be valuable but rumination often drains our energy . It keeps us stuck in past or worried about future .
Have you ever experienced rumination during exam or career decisions?
MBH/AB