How to Deal With Anxiety: 13 Ways to Cope - Verywell Health
To cope with anxiety in the moment, try interrupting negative thought patterns with positive ones, deep breathing exercises, grounding techniques, getting ...
worrying thoughts
Anxiety often causes <anchor>worrying thoughts</anchor> and distressing images that feel intrusive and uncontrollable. One way to stop negative thought patterns is to catch them as they are happening and replace them with positive thoughts or ideas. These positive images don't need to be related to the worrying situation; any positive image can reduce anxiety.
Ruminating Thoughts: Best Ways to Stop When They Start
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# How to Stop Negative Ruminating Thoughts

By [Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH](https://www.verywellhealth.com/jaime-rochelle-herndon-5204817)

Published on August 25, 2023

Medically reviewed by
[Melissa Bronstein, LICSW](https://www.verywellhealth.com/melissa-bronstein-7151514)

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Table of Contents

- [Ruminating Thoughts](#toc-different-kinds-of-ruminating-thoughts)

- [Where Do They Begin?](#toc-where-do-ruminating-thoughts-come-from)

- [Effects](#toc-effects-of-ruminating-too-much)

- [How to Overcome It](#toc-what-to-do-when-you-start-ruminating)

- [Not Being Able to Stop](#toc-cant-stop-ruminating-what-next)


Rumination is when you consistently and repetitively think about negative feelings or events, such as upsetting encounters or conversations, to the point where it causes negative emotions or emotional distress. It has an almost obsessive quality that cannot simply be “turned off” or stopped.

Rumination is a symptom of several different psychiatric diagnoses and can be a complicated issue to address. This article will discuss ruminating thoughts, the effects of ruminating, and how to address it.

martin-dm / Getty Images

## Different Kinds of Ruminating Thoughts

When people say they’re “ruminating,” they may not be referring to the clinical definition. They might mean they are reviewing events repeatedly in their minds without the process causing emotional distress. It’s always best to clarify what someone means when they say something like this to get a better idea of the intended meaning and actual symptom.

The two main types of ruminating thoughts are:

- Reflective
- Brooding

Reflective ruminating is when you look at a current distress for the purpose of evaluating it, like asking “Why do I feel like this?” It’s purposefully thinking about your situation from a neutral and distanced perspective.

Brooding rumination, on the other hand, has a passive quality to it. You often are comparing your own distressful situation with an expected standard that hasn’t been achieved.

## Where Do Ruminating Thoughts Come From?

Ruminating thoughts have been associated with a variety of disorders, including:

- [Depression](https://www.verywellhealth.com/major-depressive-disorder-5092483)
- [Anxiety disorders](https://www.verywellhealth.com/anxiety-disorder-5089639), including [obsessive-compulsive disorder](https://www.verywellhealth.com/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-5084138) (OCD)
- [Eating disorders](https://www.verywellhealth.com/eating-disorders-8584954)
- [Insomnia](https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-insomnia-the-features-symptoms-and-causes-3014805)
- [Somatic symptom disorder](https://www.verywellhealth.com/introduction-to-psychosomatic-illness-2488767)
- [Substance use disorders](https://www.verywellhealth.com/substance-abuse-disorder-5105009)

Risk factors have been found to include depression, childhood trauma or adversity, and negative cognitive styles.

[How to Deal With Anxiety: 13 Ways to Cope](https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-deal-with-anxiety-8384822)

## Effects of Ruminating Too Much

Cognition is associated with behavior and mood, and so it follows that distortions or abnormalities in thinking patterns would impact behavior and mood.

Reflective rumination has been associated with higher levels of mindfulness, but this is not the case with most ruminative thinking. While it’s known that negative ruminating thoughts are associated with anxiety and contribute to sleep problems, even positive rumination can interfere with sleep.

### Sleep and Ruminating

Ruminating thoughts can interfere with sleep. To help decrease the likelihood of ruminative thinking, consider doing the following to promote relaxation:

- Reduce stimulating activities several hours before bedtime, allowing your body time to wind down.
- Practice good sleep hygiene, such as banning screen use in the bedroom, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, and having a consistent routine in preparing for bed.
- If you can't get to sleep or return to sleep after waking, get out of bed and go somewhere quiet to practice deep breathing or meditation.
- Do some gentle stretching.
- Distract yourself by reading a pleasant book or listening to calming music.

Ruminating can contribute to depression, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders. However, the relationship between these disorders and ruminating on its own and as a symptom is complicated.

Experimental research studies show that ruminating increases negative thinking and poor problem-solving, and has a negative impact on interpersonal relationships..

## What to Do When You Start Ruminating

Tell a medical professional if you are experiencing ruminating thoughts, especially those that cause significant distress or impact your life or relationships. This is not something you can treat on your own.

Working with a mental health professional can help you find strategies to stop this kind of overthinking and address any underlying trigger for it.

Things you can do on your own that might be of some additional help include:

- **Distraction**: Do activities that evoke positive feelings and memories, listen to calming music, call a friend—anything to interrupt the cycle of repetitive thinking.
- **Get outside**: Being in nature can help with mood and rumination.
- **Find support**: Surround yourself with trusted people who know and understand what you are dealing with and who will help you push back against negative thoughts with more positive and accurate lines of thinking.
- **Get moving**: Physical activity can act as a distraction tool, improving mood and helping to fight negative, “stuck” thinking and rumination.

## Can't Stop Ruminating: What Next?

"Ruminative thinking" is more than just a colloquial phrase. True clinical rumination is not something that a person can easily stop themselves. Several strategies have been used to help modify and treat ruminative thinking, including:

- [Mindfulness-based treatments](https://www.verywellhealth.com/mindfulness-therapy-5212796)
- Cognitive control training (training aimed at increasing control of thoughts during a period of stress)
- Rumination-focused [cognitive-behavioral therapy](https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-8364578) (CBT)

Therapists with expertise in mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, and CBT may be especially helpful in finding treatment for ruminating thoughts.

## Summary

Ruminating thoughts are repetitive and passive thoughts, typically negative, that often center on the causes of one’s distress—but the ruminative thinking then perpetuates distress. Because it’s passive, the point is not focused on problem-solving; it’s reinforcing negative emotions, creating a cycle of distressing thoughts and emotional states.

Ruminating is a symptom of several psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety. While some people may be able to minimize ruminative thinking, others may need clinical treatment for a psychological disorder in addition to treating the specific symptom of ruminating. Treatment can include cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based treatments, or cognitive control training.

Ruminating is more than merely thinking about things a lot: it’s a clinical symptom that causes distress. Tell a healthcare provider about what you’re experiencing. They can help refer you to a professional who specializes in cognitive-behavioral treatment.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our [editorial process](/verywell-editorial-process-4777042) to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. American Psychiatric Association. [Rumination: a cycle of negative thinking](https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/rumination-a-cycle-of-negative-thinking).

2. Satyshur MD, Layden EA, Gowins JR, et al. [Functional connectivity of reflective and brooding rumination in depressed and healthy women.](https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-018-0611-7) _Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci._ 2018;18:884-901. doi:10.3758/s13415-018-0611-7

3. Ehring T. [Thinking too much: rumination and psychopathology.](http://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20910) _World Psychology_. 2021;20(3):441-442. doi:10.1002/wps.20910

4. Satyshur MD, Layden EA, Gowins JR, et al. [Functional connectivity of reflective and brooding rumination in depressed and healthy women](https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-018-0611-7). _Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience_. 2018;18:884-901. doi:10.3758/s13415-018-0611-7

5. Hairston IS, Portal L, Carmon T. [Positive rumination can (also) interfere with sleep: a study in a non-clinical sample.](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889810) _Front. Psychiatry._ 2022;13. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889810

6. Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Hahn KS, Gross JJ. [Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation.](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112) _PNAS_. 2015;112(28):8567-8572. doi:10.1073/pnas.1510459112

7. Brand S, Colledge F, Ludyga S, et al. [Acute bouts of exercising improved mood, rumination and social interaction in inpatients with mental disorders](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2018.00249). _Front Psychol_. 2018;9:249. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00249


By [Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH](https://www.verywellhealth.com/jaime-rochelle-herndon-5204817)

Herndon is a freelance health/medical writer with a graduate certificate in science writing from Johns Hopkins University.

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