Is Rumination Ruining You?

If you’ve ever entered a state of repetitive and unwanted thoughts, chances are that you’ve experienced ruminative thinking. Rumination is the passive act of dwelling and focusing on distress; this can show up through worries about your everyday life, or even highly unrealistic scenarios you just can’t get out of your head. According to Compass Health Center’s recent teen statistics, around 31.9% of teens struggle with an anxiety disorder - that is roughly one out of three teens. The act of rumination can worsen nearly every symptom of anxiety, alongside many other disorders. What really is rumination? Why does it occur? How can I help it?

There are four types of rumination, while sometimes they can overlap, you can also experience only one type at a time.

• The first type of rumination is brooding. Brooding can be described as the passive thinking of one's mood or actions negatively. With brooding, the person ruminating often blames themselves and can not help but worry that they have upset someone. They can experience replays of a situation, trying to figure out if they did something wrong. Brooding is most commonly seen in adolescents, yet it can happen at any stage in life.

  
  

• The second type of rumination is known as reflection, which shows up similarly to brooding. However, reflection is an internal examination of someone's feelings rather than a constant replay of certain events. This, as the name implies, is the most reflective type of rumination. It is more of a “why” than a worry. People who experience reflective rumination often hope for a solution to understand people and find solutions to their problems.

  
  

• The third type of rumination is intrusive rumination, where thoughts spiral in regarding a negative event or negative circumstances. People who experience intrusive rumination can often regard unrealistic thoughts and scenarios; however, it can be very difficult to stop these thoughts.

  
  

• The last type of rumination is deliberate rumination, which is where a person tries to understand something from every perspective. They often try to “get to the bottom” of situations to understand the context or motivation. These four types of rumination can appear very similar, and even work together, but not everyone will experience an overlap, so it is important to categorize.

If you’re still wondering why this happens, it can be for a multitude of reasons. Some of the most popular reasons consist of, yet are not limited to:

• perfectionistic tendencies

• fear of failure

• unresolved trauma

• abuse

• stressful environments

• negative self-perception

• anxiety

• other mental health disorders

• phobias

 Most rumination is a result of hoping to understand something or someone; it is not abnormal to be curious. However, when your curiosity takes over your senses, it can start to become an issue. When you replay something in your head, you are trying to grasp all sides, hidden details, and even emotional cues. Rumination can be a common coping mechanism, but if you don’t understand it, it can lead to a myriad of side effects. This constant repetition is harmful, using Sandstone Care and Compass Health Center’s findings, rumination is linked to worsening symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other disorders. Rumination can cause effects such as:

• malnutrition

• risk of high blood pressure

• worsened symptoms of already existing disorders

• increased risk of harmful behavior

• negative moods

• inadequate sleep

• avoidance

• problem-solving abilities

Rumination may seem harmless, and it may help you understand certain events better, but the risks outweigh the benefits. If you’re trying to stop ruminating, there are many ways to do so. Reaching out to a professional to engage in psychotherapy or get prescribed medication is one way to help! However, there are ways to help control rumination on your own. Learning your triggers is a helpful way to start managing your ruminative behaviors and understand why you might start ruminating in the first place. Writing down your feelings in the moment can also help; you will be able to reflect after the feelings have passed. Practicing mindful and self-care forward behaviors is another way - taking the best care of your physical and mental health can help get you into a routine. Distraction can also help, from working out to painting, whatever soothes your mind. If you do choose to reach out to a professional, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is a common approach to treating rumination. CBT is known for recognizing patterns and tailoring a plan best suited to you. These different methods can help minimize your unwanted thoughts. You’re not alone!

Team, S. C. (2025, February 5). Rumination: breaking the cycle of negative thoughts. Sandstone Care. https://www.sandstonecare.com/blog/rumination/

Compass Health Center. (2025, June 20). How rumination affects your mental health | Compass Health Center. Compass Health Center. https://compasshealthcenter.net/blog/what-is-rumination-mental-health/