Ever catch yourself spiraling on the same thought and wondering how to stop ruminating before it takes over your whole day? You’re not alone; our brains love to replay worries like a broken record. The good news? There are simple strategies to stop overthinking that actually work. This article is going to talk about 5 powerful ways to break free from those mental loops and give your mind the reset it deserves.
KEY POINTS
- Defusion allows us a strategy to unhook from distressing thoughts.
- Sometimes rumination can also be contained to specific periods that acknowledge its purpose.
- There are a number of directions to approach rumination from.
As a kid, I occasionally wandered into the fields behind my parents’ home. Stalks of corn reached much taller than I. Snakes hid in the dirt beneath. At a point, the plants (or perhaps the chemicals sprayed on them) would begin to irritate my skin. And so, panic ignited. Walking in circles, ever faster. Where am I?
Related: How To Stop Overthinking At Night
Overthinking Again? 5 Simple Hacks on How to Stop Ruminating
1. Acknowledge the Purpose
Sometimes, our minds get stuck on a topic for a reason. What bothers you most about what you are ruminating about? Why do you think it keeps coming back? The answers to these questions might help you recognize the purpose that rumination is playing. If you ruminate habitually, you might also ask yourself, was there a time when rumination was helpful to you or would have been?
Maybe you grew up in a home where outbursts were common, and reflecting on your “mistakes” repeatedly gave you an illusion of power to avoid someone’s wrath. For some, rumination is rooted in trauma. Acknowledging the purpose of strategies like rumination is a crucial component of case conceptualization in therapies such as compassion-focused therapy.
These insights provide new perspectives on how your mind attempts to support you while inadvertently causing unintended consequences (Gilbert, 2009).
2. Recognize the Thoughts as Separate from You
You are not your thoughts. You are the person behind your eyes experiencing those thoughts. In acceptance and commitment therapy, this is the observing self. It might seem small, but this insight that you are separate from your thoughts can be incredibly liberating (Luoma and colleagues, 2007).
3. Make It Physical
If you can’t get something out of your head, make it physical. Writing down a tricky thought or drawing it out can give it space to roam outside your mind. By making it something tangible, its power can be altered. This is a strategy from acceptance and commitment therapy known as defusion or pulling apart from your thoughts (Luoma and colleagues, 2007).
4. Give Rumination a Space to Play
Sometimes, we need to ruminate. If your worries keep popping up, set up an appointment with yourself to journal or create art on the topic. By giving rumination a place to voice its concerns, you may free it to back off.
5. Engage in Defusion Imagery
Envision yourself standing in a park holding a bunch of balloons. As each thought enters your mind, could you attach it to a balloon and let it go? Watch it fly up into the air until you can’t see it. You don’t have to make it disappear, but you don’t have to keep the balloons around. You are releasing your grasp. Imagery like this is often used in psychotherapy to help defuse thoughts.
Related: How Rigid Thinking And Rumination Undermines Your Health And Life
Closing
Rumination can trap us in a never-ending cycle. Yet, through strategies, such as those outlined through acceptance and commitment therapy, we can free ourselves from the maze, instead intentionally choosing where we wish to walk.
References:
Gilbert, P. (2009a). The compassionate mind: A new approach to the challenge of life. Constable & Robinson.
Luoma, J. B., Hayes, S. C., & Walser, R. D. (2007). Learning ACT: An Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Skills-Training Manual for Therapists. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger & Reno, NV: Context Press.
Written By Jennifer Gerlach LCSW
Originally Appeared On Psychology Today
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