Blog Series on Rumination
Have you ever found yourself alone with your thoughts, feeling frustrated or disappointed? These moments often arise when you’re driving home, lying in bed before sleep, or even walking through the grocery store. You might replay what you wish you’d said to a coworker who joked about you in front of your boss, feel annoyed that your partner hasn’t emptied the dishwasher as promised, or think about a friend who’s always late and never apologizes.
It’s perfectly normal to reflect on everyday problems. This kind of reflection helps you understand your feelings, recognize patterns in situations that trouble you, and consider the impact these issues have on your life. Thoughtful reflection can lead to greater self-awareness and problem-solving.
However, sometimes negative thoughts become persistent and hard to shake. When this happens, you may feel sad, annoyed, or guilty for longer periods, and it can affect your behavior—like staying in bed, snapping at others, or canceling plans. It may feel as though negative thinking has taken over your life.
What Is Rumination?
Rumination is when your thoughts keep circling around the same issue. The term comes from “ruminant,” describing animals like cows that regurgitate and rechew their food as part of digestion. Similarly, rumination involves repeatedly “chewing over” a problem without reaching a solution. While it’s often linked to depression and other mental health challenges, rumination is common and can help us explore the reasons behind unresolved problems.
Is Rumination Normal?
It’s normal to ruminate after major life changes, such as the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or losing a job. Rumination can help us process these changes and adjust. Repeated thoughts about a problem or goal can also be constructive, helping us identify the gap between what we want and what we have, and motivating us to take action.
When Does Rumination Become a Problem?
Rumination becomes problematic when it turns into a mental habit—when you start ruminating in similar situations repeatedly. For example, if you’ve ruminated while driving before, you’re likely to do it again in that context. Over time, this pattern can become ingrained and automatic.
Rumination vs. Worry
Rumination and worry are both repetitive thought patterns about unresolved issues, and both can contribute to depression and anxiety. The key difference is their focus: rumination centers on past problems and failures, while worry is about future threats and uncertainties. In practice, these thought patterns often blend together, shifting between past and future concerns.
How Can You Reduce Rumination?
Here are some strategies to help break the cycle of rumination:
- Analyze the ABCs (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence): Examine what happened just before you started ruminating (the antecedent), the rumination itself (behavior), and the feelings or actions that followed (consequence). This functional analysis can reveal patterns and help you understand the purpose of your rumination.
- Track Your Thoughts: Write down when you ruminate, what triggered it, and how it affected your mood and behavior. This can help you spot recurring patterns and triggers.
- Reward Yourself: Schedule activities that boost your mood and provide a sense of accomplishment or pleasure. Experiment with different activities and note which ones are most effective at improving your mood.
Dr. Robbie Woods (C. Psych.) is a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships (CFIR). He provides psychological services to adults who are seeking assessments and treatments for a variety of conditions including anxiety (e.g., generalized, social, health, panic), obsessive-compulsive (e.g., body dysmorphia, skin-picking), and depressive disorders (e.g., major depressive, persistent depressive).
References:
Kircanski, K., Thompson, R. J., Sorenson, J., Sherdell, L., & Gotlib, I. H. (2018). The everyday dynamics of rumination and worry: Precipitant events and affective consequences. Cognition and Emotion, 32(7), 1424-1436.
Watkins, E. R. (2018). Rumination-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression. Guilford Publications.
