Have you ever been stuck on the worry train, that feeling of being trapped in a cycle of repetitive and distressing thoughts that you cannot shut off? Most of us have had this unpleasant experience at one time or another. This phenomenon, known as rumination or obsessive thinking, impacts our emotional and physical well-being, increases stress, and amplifies negative thoughts. (read here to read about how negative thoughts affect health and increase stress).
Although we do not know how thoughts interact with the body, we know that they do, that what we think affects how the body works in the most fundamental way. You know from your own experience that when you think about something that worries you, you get that knot in the pit of your stomach; or that tightness in your chest where you feel that you can't breathe; or that pain in your shoulders that makes it hard to move -- all examples of how thoughts affect the body (read here about the mind-body problem and some interesting philosophical explanation about how the mind and the body interact).
Unfortunately, negative thoughts do not travel alone - they are pretty much always accompanied by their first cousins, ruminations. Once a negative thought is activated, it tends to stick around in the form of ruminations, the obsessive thoughts that get stuck in our heads in a never ending loop of replaying a conversation, thinking about what you said, what you should have said or not said, what might happen, and other endless 'what ifs'. Ruminations are time-consuming, draining, and intensely distressing. They cause anxiety, sleep problems, trouble concentrating, irritability, and physical problems. In severe cases, they are part of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the majority of time they are associated with anxiety of various forms.
Fortunately, it is actually possible to get off that worry train! Read on to learn 5 ways to decrease rumination and worry.
Recognize and Label
The first step is to recognize what is happening and label it for what it is: ruminating and obsessing about a situation. Clients often tell me that they feel stress and anxiety because they "overthink things" and find it impossible to stop, no matter how hard they try.
Labeling enables you to "draw a line in the sand," so to speak: "This is an obsessive thought. I am not going to give it energy by focusing on it." Labeling enables you to separate from the rumination and see it for what it is, a distorted thought that is stuck in a 'replay' mode. Labeling your experience is the first step in empowering yourself to break free of old thinking habits and build new pathways in your brain. The faster you label the obsessive thoughts for what they are, the easier it is to do a hard stop.
Change Your Focus
A change in focus helps the brain shift gears and helps it disenage from the obsessive thought.
Because different regions of the brain are activated depending on what your are doing, you can essentially decide what brain pathway you want to activate and strenghen. For example, if you are learning to play the piano, the parts of the brain that control hearing, fine motor coordination, visual perception, attention, and executive control are most active. If you go out for a power walk or run, the parts of the brain controlling balance, awareness of your body in space, visual centers, executive control, motor coordination are all activated.
By conrast, ruminations and obsessions activate deep structures of the brain associated with emotions, anxiety, fear, and stress. The longer you stay with the ruminations, the more active those structures become. The longer you ruminate, the stronger the pathways of anxiety and obsessive thinking grow -- you become a real pro at the "what if" game, at imagining the worst case scenario, at replaying conversations that go nowhere.
When you change your focus, you engage in activities incompatible with rumination. Pretty much anything that is enjoyable and positive for you will have the power to shift the energy flow in your brain. Playing an instrument, painting, drawing, doing crafts (read more here about the healing power of crafting) all have the power to shift that energy flow. As an added bonus, when you channel your energy into creative outlets that enable you to express yourself, not only does it empower you to control where your mind goes, but it also improves your self-confidence and self-esteem. I often tell my clients that the mind is like an untrained puppy - if you don't keep an eye on it and let it wonder wherever it wants, it is sure to chew up your slippers and piddle behind the couch!
Physical activities are also effective ways to change the energy flow in the brain. Dancing, jogging, yoga, power walking, rock climbing, weight lifting, and many others, all have the power to shift the energy from the emotional regions of the brain to other areas, thus interrupting the rumination. Besides, mountains of scientific research have shown that physical activity benefits physical health as well as mental well-being. It releases endorphins, also known as "feel-good" hormones, which can help reduce stress and improve your mood. And, when your mood improves, it is so much easier to recognize the ruminations for what they are - power drains that suck you dry. So, lace up your sneakers and get moving to break free from those obsessive thoughts!
Embrace Sensory Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation is an especially effective way to switch mental gears. Typically, the practice of mindfulness works by bringing one's attention to the present moment, observing the flow of one's thoughts without judgment. Unfortunately, if you struggle with obsessive thinking, the typical approach to mindfulness is not going to work very well because preoccupation with one's thoughts is the problem in the first place. And when one is anxious, the flow of one's thoughts is very likely going to end up in the "swamps" of rumination.
Try instead Sensory Mindfulness, the simplest and most manageable mindfulness exercise. It uses each of the five senses during the practice: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. The exercise aims to help you focus on the experience of each sense as you describe to yourself what you perceive, what each particular sense is telling you. As you focus on each sense and perceive what it tells you, the movement of energy within the brain naturally flows away from the emotional centers to the senses, so you feel calmer and less anxious. Read here through my example of an exercise of sensory mindfulness, then repeat it with something in your own life.
4. Practice Journaling
I have found with my clients that many resist journaling or have negative associations with it because journaling feels to them like a responsibility or a school assignment - you have to write in complete sentences with correct punctuation about something the teacher will read and give you feedback or a grade. Yikes! Journaling has no such requirements. Your journal is your journal, and you can make it anything you want.
There are many ways to journal and, in fact, journaling does not even have to involve writing. One teenage client I had was a gifted artist who could create the most expressive drawings with a few strokes. She journaled by drawing and would bring her journal to the sessions to share and explore her week's experiences. Over time, she learned to use the visual journaling between sessions to help herself understand her triggers for stress and negative feelings and discover how to manage them.
Gratitude journaling is a popular form of journaling these days. You spend a few minutes writing down things you are thankful for, pleasant and uplifting experiences that you would otherwise forget about and overlook in the swirl of daily living, successes that remind you of your strengths, or a challenge that you overcame . Shifting your focus from negative ruminations to positive aspects of your life can help reframe your perspective and foster a sense of appreciation and contentment. Even more important, shifting your focus to something positive interrupts the ruminations and anxious preoccupations of the emotional brain.
5. Connect with Nature
Immersing yourself in nature can provide a much-needed respite from the chaos of everyday life. It does not have to be something extravagant or extreme. Whether it is a leisurely walk in the park, a short hike, strolling by a river, sitting on a beach, spending time outdoors can help clear your mind and promote relaxation, making it easier to break free from the cycle of obsessive thinking.
Time spent in green spaces appears to be especially beneficial for health, lowering stress hormones and high blood pressure, improving circulation and heart health, and decreasing feelings of anxiety and depression.
Breaking free from obsessive thinking and rumination by incorporating these methods into your daily routine requires some practice and persistence, but by taking these proactive steps to disconnect from rumination will foster a healthier mindset and a stronger sense of confidence. Remember, though, that it is okay to seek help and support if you find yourself struggling with persistent obsessive thoughts. Your mental well-being is worth prioritizing!
Start your journey towards a more mindful and peaceful mindset today.
Your well-being deserves it!
Dr. Dana Watts
Clinical Psychologist
Helping Clients in the Greater Cleveland Area
440-895-110
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