Quick summary: Rumination is repetitive thinking about distress that feels like problem solving yet keeps mood low and blocks real solutions, unlike brief self reflection that can support learning. The brain can still form new pathways throughout life, so noticing the loop, naming it and redirecting attention towards a present activity weakens the old habit with practice. This simple shift builds greater flexibility in how people meet difficult thoughts and supports mental well-being in daily life and in healthcare for anxiety and low mood.
Have you ever replayed a conversation over and over in your mind, wondering whether you said the right thing? Or found yourself lying awake at night, analysing the same problem without finding a solution? If so, you may have experienced something called rumination.
Rumination involves repetitive and persistent thinking about distressing thoughts, feelings, or problems, often focusing on negative experiences or emotions. Self-reflection can be helpful. Looking back at situations and considering what went well, or what you might do differently next time, can support learning and growth. However, when thoughts become repetitive and difficult to move away from, they can maintain or worsen emotional distress and make effective problem-solving more difficult.
People can become stuck in cycles of rumination because it may feel as though they are solving a problem or reassuring themselves. Unfortunately, this relief is often short-lived. The more a person ruminates, the worse they may feel, which can lead to even more rumination.
Neuroplasticity: Your brain can change
The empowering thing about the brain is that it can change and adapt.
You may have heard the term neuroplasticity before. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to form new neural pathways and connections. This remarkable capacity for change continues throughout life and supports learning, memory, and recovery.
This means that even long-standing habits of thinking are not necessarily permanent.
In education, understanding neuroplasticity is key. When learning is poorly designed or delivered, this creates wasteful mental effort for learners, which is termed the “cognitive load“. Neuroplasticity-informed pedagogical approaches, such as considering how educators can reduce cognitive load of learning materials, can boost potential when it comes to increasing learners’ adaptive neural changes. The mental load that we are subject to as adults, however, needs our own control and management, and this is where an understanding of how to avoid rumination comes into play.
The superpower: Practising a different response
Although people may feel stuck or describe themselves as “overthinkers”, new patterns can always be formed. If rumination has become a habitual response to stress, it can begin to feel automatic. However, each time we respond differently, we give the brain an opportunity to strengthen new neural pathways and weaken old habits that are no longer serving us.
Neuroplasticity exercise for rumination
Here’s a simple exercise you can try, when you catch yourself ruminating: notice, name, redirect.
- Notice when you are engaging in repetitive thinking.
- Name the process and say to yourself, “I am ruminating right now”.
- Choose an activity that brings your attention into the present moment or towards something meaningful.
Examples
You can engage your body through walking, dancing, stretching or yoga. You can ground yourself by noticing the shapes and colours around you and whether nearby objects feel rough or smooth. You can also turn to action-oriented tasks such as tidying or organising, calling a friend, or doing some crafts or baking.
The aim is not to force the thought away but to practise shifting your attention. Each time you redirect your attention away from rumination you help strengthen alternative neural pathways and responses.
Final thoughts
Please remember to be kind to yourself. While the brain can form new neural pathways, change rarely happens overnight. Like any skill, developing new habits takes time, practice, and consistency.
It is also important to remember that occasional worry is a normal part of being human. The goal is not to eliminate difficult thoughts altogether, but to develop greater flexibility in how you respond to them.
Amber Browne is an MSc Psychology student. Her primary research interest focuses on trauma-informed care.
Poppy Gibson, EdD currently leads the innovative Blended Accelerated BA Hons in Primary Education Studies at Anglia Ruskin University (Essex).
