How to Stop Ruminating | GrowingSelf.com

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the never-ending loop of overthinking, you’re not alone. Many people don’t know how to stop ruminating, and unfortunately, rumination can make us feel like prisoners of our thoughts and prevent us from living life to its fullest. Whether you’re thinking nonstop about a breakup, a mistake you made, or about bad things that could happen in the future, learning how to stop ruminating is the path to mental and emotional freedom.

Many of my clients come to therapy for anxiety or to life coaching because they want to learn how to gain control over obsessive, repetitive thought patterns that make them feel sad, scared, and stuck. But fear not, for this blog is your guide to breaking the cycle, rediscovering inner peace, and stepping into a brighter future. 

If you would prefer to listen I’ve also recorded an episode of the Love, Happiness and Success podcast on this topic. You can find it in the player below, on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

So, let’s dive right into “How to Stop Ruminating” and regain control of your mind, once and for all:

How to Stop Ruminating 101: Acknowledging the Problem

The first step in any journey of personal growth is increasing self-awareness. In order to stop ruminating, you first need to recognize when it’s happening, which can be difficult at first if rumination is a deeply ingrained mental habit for you. Learn to notice when you’re having repetitive, distressing thoughts, or dwelling on past events, especially with a negative or self-critical focus. When you notice yourself ruminating, say out loud, “I’m ruminating right now,” to make yourself fully aware of what your mind is doing.

Embracing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful antidote to rumination. It’s about paying deliberate attention to the present moment without judgment. When you are fully engaged in the present, there’s no real estate left for obsessive thoughts about the past or future. You can improve mindfulness by simply focusing on your breath, bodily sensations, or the sights and sounds around you. With time, you’ll build mental strength and discipline that allows you to shift your focus away from rumination.

Challenge Your Thoughts

The root of rumination often lies in irrational or distorted thinking. To stop ruminating, question your thoughts. Are they based on facts? Are they helpful or destructive? Learn to recognize cognitive distortions like catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, or overgeneralization. By challenging your thoughts, you can regain control of your mind and break the cycle of rumination.

Practice Self-Compassion:

Rumination often involves harsh self-criticism and self-blame. Not only does it make you feel regret about the past and fear about the future, but it makes you feel bad about yourself in the here and now. Counteract these tendencies with mindful self-compassion. Treat yourself as you would a friend in need. Acknowledge that you are human, and like everyone else, you make mistakes. Remember that self-compassion doesn’t mean avoiding responsibility but rather offering understanding and forgiveness to yourself, and embracing the growth opportunities that you can only gain through trial and error.

Find a Creative Outlet

What is your passion? Where do you experience flow? 

Finding a creative outlet like art, writing, or music can help you channel your energy constructively when your mind won’t stop spinning in an anxious loop. You don’t have to be a professional; the act of creation itself can be therapeutic. If there is a creative activity that you enjoy so much that you lose track of time while you’re doing it, then you’re on the right track. 

How to Stop Ruminating by Cultivating Problem Solving Skills

Rumination often revolves around unresolved problems. If you are worried about a project at work, or a conflict with a friend, or your financial situation, then rumination can be your brain’s way of seeking a solution. 

Unfortunately, thinking obsessively about a problem does not make it go away. Instead, it can make you feel overwhelmed and even paralyzed. In fact, rumination can make problems worse, and studies show that it is closely associated with greater levels of anxiety and depression.

By working on your problem-solving skills, you can equip yourself to address the concerns that lead you to ruminate. Use a structured approach: identify the problem, brainstorm solutions, and then take action. One of the benefits of working with a good life coach is getting assistance with creating actionable plans for solving specific problems in your life, and gaining an effective framework for problem solving in the future. 

Learning to Let Go of the Past

One of the fundamental aspects of rumination is the inability to let go of the past. As a breakup and divorce recovery expert, I have found this to be especially true for people experiencing heartbreak. They often can’t stop thinking about their Ex and what went wrong in the relationship, and it can keep them stuck. 

To get unstuck and begin moving forward, you need to embrace radical acceptance for what has already happened. Working through grief, validating your own feelings, and digging into the personal growth that comes from difficult life experiences can all help you make peace with the past. Then, you can focus your energy on the present and the future, which are the only things you can change. 

Getting Professional Help with Rumination

Rumination is a common problem, but it can develop into something more serious if left unchecked. Don’t let rumination persist, especially if it’s standing in the way of your mental, emotional, or physical wellbeing. A good therapist or life coach can equip you with the tools you need to manage rumination and gain mental freedom. 

If you are interested in doing this work with a clinician on my team, I invite you to schedule a free consultation. 

Xoxo, 

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

P.S. — Please know that I have many more free resources available to support your emotional wellbeing. You can find more articles and podcast episodes like this in my “emotional wellness” content collection. I made it for you!

Music in this episode is by Jim O’Rourke with their song “A Man’s Mind Will Play Tricks on Him.” You can support them and their work by visiting their Bandcamp page here: https://jimorourke.bandcamp.com/music. Under the circumstance of use of music, each portion of used music within this current episode fits under Section 107 of the Copyright Act, i.e., Fair Use. Please refer to copyright.gov if further questions are prompted.

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