When you make a mistake at work, the same scene plays over and over in your head. “If only I had said that to my boss at that time…” “Why did I make such a mistake…?” Even when you go home or on holidays, your mind is filled with past events, and the emotional cloud doesn’t clear.
If this resonates with you, you might be caught in rumination. Rumination is the act of repeatedly thinking about negative events or emotions, which drains your mental energy.
This article introduces specific methods to break free from the loop of rumination and detox your mind.
Why Do We Fall into Rumination?
Rumination is said to be more common in people who are serious and have a strong sense of responsibility. We tend to think, “If I deeply analyze the cause of the failure, I’ll succeed next time,” but rumination is a bit different from constructive “analysis.”
Rumination is an unproductive thought loop that doesn’t seek solutions for past events. Instead, it just continues to blame oneself with “Why? How?” or deepens feelings of regret.
When caught in this loop, the brain is constantly under tension, stress increases, and the motivation for new challenges is lost.
3 “Mind Detox Techniques” to Stop Rumination
It’s tough to stop ruminating just by thinking, “I should stop thinking.” The key is to take concrete action to break the thought loop. Here are three methods you can try right now.
1. Write it Down on Paper and “Get it Out of Your Brain”
When you keep thoughts in your head, they often go in circles. That’s why journaling (writing) is so effective.
- What you need: Just a notebook and a pen.
- How to do it: Write down all the emotions and thoughts that come to mind, good or bad, as if no one will ever see them. Try writing down your circling thoughts exactly as they are, like “Why didn’t it work out? I should have tried a different method then. But I didn’t have time…”
By writing them down, the mental clutter that occupied your mind is physically “outside” your brain, allowing you to view it objectively. Sometimes, solutions naturally emerge as you write.
2. Use Your Five Senses to Bring Your Awareness Back to “Here and Now”
Rumination means your consciousness is stuck in the past. To break free, use your five senses to bring your awareness back to the present moment.
- Make a warm drink: Brew your favorite tea or coffee. Focus on the sound of the water boiling, the rising aroma, the warmth of the cup, and the taste when you sip it.
- Stretch or take a walk: Moving your body naturally shifts your awareness to your physical self. Feel your muscles stretch or sense the wind, light, and sounds of the city while walking.
- Focus on touch: Even simply feeling the texture of objects around you, like your desk surface, computer keyboard, or the pen in your hand, can be effective.
Taking time to focus on your five senses forces an interruption to your thoughts and refreshes your mind.
3. Change Your “Questions” to Change the Direction of Your Thoughts
Rumination often begins with “Why?” questions that probe the past. For example, “Why did I make such a mistake at that time?” leading to an endless search for causes.
Change this “Why?” question to a future-oriented “How can I…?” or “What can I do…?”
- “Why did I make a mistake?” → “What can I learn from this experience to use next time?“
- “Why did that person say it that way?” → “How can I communicate effectively with that person?“
Simply by changing the question, your thoughts will naturally shift from past regret to future solutions.
Conclusion: Regain Peace of Mind with Small Actions
Rumination is also a sign that you’re a diligent person who works hard. That’s precisely why, instead of blaming yourself, try these specific methods to break free from this thought loop.
Even just one small step you can take starting today, such as writing things down on paper or making a warm drink, is enough. Such small actions will detox your mind and help you regain peace of mind.
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