Rumination is our tendency to keep thinking about bad experiences. It’s quite different from healthy self-reflection.
If you’ve ever chewed over something in your mind that you did, over something that someone did to you, or over something that you don’t have but wanted, over and over again, seemingly unable to stop thinking about it, you’ve experienced what psychologists call rumination.
This “passive comparison of one’s current situation with some unachieved standard,” as described by the authors of a study on rumination, can manifest in self-critical thoughts such as, “Why can’t I handle things better?”
Another study notes, “By reflecting on what went wrong and how to rectify it, people may be able to discover sources of error or alternative strategies, ultimately leading to not repeating mistakes and possibly doing better in the future.” A potentially valuable trait — but, boy, can it make us miserable.
Rumination impairs decision-making and worsens physiological stress responses, and it’s correlated with not only leading to depression and anxiety but also increasing their severity. It can prompt us to distraction, and it’s one of four psychological factors that drive us to dissatisfaction.
Thankfully, some studies have found a way to rewire our rumination into wisdom.
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