How to Know if You're a Ruminator - and What to Do About It

I think you forgot meditation as one of the tools to clearing your mind. Affirmations can also be a positive rumination breaker.

Rumination Tasha Eurich, Through your description, you've obnubilated the actual definition of the word rumination, "The action or process of thinking deeply about something.". The ladder definition states nothing about a "single-minded fixation on our fears, shortcomings, and insecurities' ' and through your definition you've diminished the impact of the word itself. In this topic, it's important to not mislead people. Rumination is very very important when it comes to growth in self-awareness, the idea you describe as "rumination" is obsessive thinking upon self-destructive thoughts and tendencies. The reason why this is important to take into account is that through your “Self-Assessment'' on rumination, you’ve described some good coping mechanisms as being the wrong thing to do. I will give you the benefit of the doubt that giving a definition to these ideas can make them easier to understand and therefore apply, but without the proper situational context your guidance is irresponsible. An example of this would be your 4th statement, “I often find myself reevaluating something I've done.”, reevaluation is an important key in the growth of self-awareness. The idea of reevaluation can be negative in some context, but the definition states, “the action of assessing or evaluating something again or differently.”, when applied correctly the reevaluation will be upon the betterment of one's actions or thoughts as a result of a stressful or emotional encounter. Not only is reevaluation important in the growth of self-awareness, it's also a key property of your statements 2, 5 and 6 in your “Self-Assessment excerpt. In the aspect of rumination your statements 2, 4, 5 and 6 are all good coping mechanisms and shouldn't be ignored due to your idea of rumination. There is an understandable level of comprehension in your ideas, but you leave out a key component... context. Statements 2, 4, 5 and 6 would be negative coping mechanisms if they were upon self-destructive thoughts, but in fact are otherwise very important aspects of self growth. Statement 1 in your “Self-Assessment” is the only example that provides negative rumination stating, “My attention is often focused on aspects of myself that I wish I’d stop thinking about.”. The subject of the matter is oneself and the *negative* rumination is upon aspects that are self-destructive. Therefore the ladder describes rumination upon self-destructive thoughts and not “rumination” as the negative aspect itself. Although statement 7 in your “Self-Assessment” may seem like negative rumination describing, “I spend a great deal of time thinking back over my embarrassing or disappointing moments.”, the effect of the rumination is subjective. Allow me to elaborate, rumination upon embarrassing or disappointing moments is a cause and effect scenario, meaning that when an embarrassing or disappointing event occurs, there is unwanted reflection of the event itself. The ladder is completely natural for everyone and isn't self-destructive. Lets use an embarrassing event for an example, when something embarrassing occurs, the emotional response is based upon the outward expression of others; while stressing upon this event isn’t beneficial, it’s also unavoidable in the description of an *embarrassing* moment and it’s an emotion felt by everyone. An “embarrassing moment” and the emotional response that comes with it, can only be overcome through redemption or time. The ladder is the case solely because the embarrassment is a reaction to the outward expression of others who participated in the event and cannot be eradicated through lack of rumination while the others' outward expressions are still prevalent...making it an influenced emotion. In regards to a “disappointing” event, while still being subjective, disappointment can induce the aspiration of growth or redemption. Making rumination upon disappointment contextually positive, the context being positive rumination rather than negative rumination. As for statement 3 in your “Self-Assessment”, “Sometimes it’s hard for me to shut off negative thoughts about myself.” The idea of the statement is a result of self-destructive thinking, but the ability to answer the question at all shows a level of self awareness that is gained through rumination: the interception of self-destructive thoughts. Elaboration, if you’re aware that your thoughts are “negative” and had attempts at cutting off the negative thinking, this shows use of extensive rumination in regards to the betterment of oneself by the eradication of negative thinking. Through rumination, you gain self-awareness, with self-awareness you can better yourself mentally. The ladder poses a clear contradiction to your idea that “rumination is also a huge barrier to self-awareness”. Without self-awareness there can be no interception of negative thinking, while self-awareness as an ability is acquired through rumination and reflection. When speaking of statement 3 as an effect, the cause is depression not rumination...making things more complex than just the idea of deep thinking. In fact, if someone were to answer “yes” to statement 3 they’re agreeing that while being self-aware enough to understand they’re thinking negatively, *“Sometimes”* it can be difficult to *“shut off”* those thoughts all together. The ability to “shut off negative thoughts” is acquired through rumination upon what thoughts are negative and require elimination. If you apply the ladder to all your thoughts, you are using self-awareness you gained through rumination. Touching on your idea that, “rumination tricks us into thinking we're productively self-reflecting.”; the use of the word rumination is irresponsible. The statement would make sense if more complex ideas were added into the thought of rumination, such as; “obsessive rumination”, “self-destructive rumination”, or even a statement as simple as, “negative rumination”. The ladder amendments pose an indicative that is clear and concise, while respecting the idea that there are different types of rumination. According to your closing excerpt, while not stating directly, you claim to be basing your research upon the self-absorption paradox: the idea of “Distinguishing rumination from reflection”. Not once in your article do you reference self-contemplative reflection even though it's the solution to your theory of rumination. Instead, you give examples that require rumination in its entirety to achieve. Statements 1, 2 and 4 from your excerpt, “Tools to Stop Rumination in its Tracks” all require rumination in order to complete the contemporary necessity of each statement. Regarding statement 1, “Remember that other people don’t generally care about our mistakes as much as we do.”; In order to achieve this statement successfully you need rumination, consideration and situational self-awareness. Regarding statement 2, “Choose to learn from difficult situations rather than beat yourself up about your performance.”, you need extensive rumination *and* reflection in order to “learn from difficult situations”; as well as a level of self-awareness to *learn*, “rather than beat yourself up about your performance.”. Regarding statement 4, “Practice thought-stopping by picturing a stop sign in your mind, or telling yourself, *I’m not getting anything productive out of this and it’s time to STOP these thoughts*.”, you need self-awareness *through* rumination in order to understand that you’re not, “getting anything productive out of this”. As for statements 3 and 5 from your excerpt, “Tools to Stop Rumination in its Tracks”, both are comprehensive in the realm of coping mechanisms but simultaneously stray from the contemporary necessity: a solution to your version of “rumination”. The statements also contradict your idea of rumination altogether...rumination is required in order to understand the right time to apply these “solutions”. Touching on the idea of *solving* the problem, the suggestion of statement 5 is just down right irresponsible. Statement 5, “Get a reality check by sharing your thoughts with a friend to get a more impartial perspective.’’, your idea is to relay your mental discontinuities to a friend in hopes of getting an “impartial” or *unbiased* perspective as to perform a “reality check”. In reality your friends will have the most biased perspective on your ideas because, they are your friends; not only will they be biased but the most they could provide would be affirmation, which is very dangerous when it comes to emotion. Elaboration, upon reaching out to your friends they will give you affirmation and justification, which applied incorrectly due to their biased opinions could reaffirm self-destructive thinking. The better suggestion would be to reach out to a professional or even the subject's parents. I’ll also stress on the fact that while your article picks apart ideas from the self-absorption paradox, your conclusion has *lack* of rumination as the solution, rather than the theory of reflection as described in the self-absorption paradox. The ladder statement is why I’m holding you to the definition of rumination, rather than the paradox...your article simply doesn't follow the paradox. Not to mention the idea of self-contemplative reflection is achieved *through* the *definition* of rumination, as well as distinguishing the idea’s involvement in the self-absorption paradox; neither ideas are present in your article. The sum and substance is your misleading and irresponsible use of the definition for the word rumination; your lack of contextual interconnectedness when it comes to the paradox you claim to be following, and your boldness in giving advice that entertains a solution to an idea you know very little about. I respect and agree with many of your ideas regarding, self-awareness through mindfulness, the action and reaction psychology of people, and your ideas on general outward psychology. The topic of rumination is more inward psychology, the idea of deep consideration to achieve inward self-awareness and all of its contradictions. Setting aside your lack of interconnectedness to a paradox/theory on rumination, and your ignorance regarding different types of rumination, the better “advice” would be found not in your, “Tools to Stop Rumination in its Tracks.” excerpt, but rather in your “SCORE” descriptions for grading your “Self-Assessment”. Examples from your article: 1. “A first step might be to gain a better understanding of your triggers: Do certain situations or people set you off more than others?” 2. “Start by looking for patterns: Are there certain people or situations that cause you to ruminate more?” 3. “Are there certain techniques that are more useful than others in stopping your” self-destructive, “ruminative thoughts?” By making the ideas above *more* prevalent, you induce growth in self-awareness. Just by reading the words, the reader will *ruminate* on their meaning. The idea of rumination is to achieve self-awareness by creating connections through questions. As a writer in psychology, if your aim is to help people better themselves, it’s your job to present the *right* questions.

Terrific article Tasha Eurich

Thank you Tasha Eurich for this wonderful article. Rumination is our best ennemi!