How to Stop Ruminating

To stop ruminating on stressful situations, you can use the following strategies:

• Anchor Yourself: Take a moment to feel the weight of your feet on the floor and ask yourself questions like "What am I thinking? What am I feeling in my body right now? What am I doing right now?" Then, evaluate if your thoughts are helping you in the present moment.
• Take Your Thoughts Less Seriously: Instead of allowing negative ideas to dominate your life, gain perspective by observing them from a distance and reminding yourself that they are just thoughts.
• Sit with Uncertainty: Accepting uncertainty might mean sitting with some fear, but trying to micromanage reality is not possible.
• Self-Validate: Legitimizing your negative emotions can help diffuse stress and rumination. For example, acknowledge that you have the right to feel nervous.

These tips are adapted from the article "How to Stop Dwelling on Your Stress" by Jenny Taitz.