How To Process Feelings Without Slipping Into Rumination

How To Process Feelings Without Slipping Into Rumination Stress Management Management Techniques Print Move From Rumination to Healthy Emotional Processing Let Go of Negative Feelings and Grasp New Solutions By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on August 14, 2019 How Stress Impacts Your Health Overview Signs of Burnout Stress and Weight Gain Benefits of Exercise Stress Reduction Tips Self-Care Practices Mindful Living Its important to know how to think through stressful situations while avoiding rumination. Eric Raptosh Photography/Blend Images/Getty Images Have you ever found yourself obsessing over something negative thats happened to you, and getting more and more upset, but feeling unable to let it go? If so, youve experienced rumination, and youre not aloneâ€"this is a very common pattern of thinking. Its also a very stressful thought pattern, though. In fact, when people ruminate about negative things that have happened in their lives, they tend to feel stressed about them when they may not have otherwise felt consciously stressed. Rumination can be difficult to resist, however, especially when it becomes an unconscious habit; what may start out as an attempt to process negative emotions or find a solution to a problem can quickly devolve into a negative loop of obsessive, negative thinking. Its difficult to find a solution to a problem or process emotions surrounding it without ever thinking about the problem, though, so its tricky to find a balance between ignoring problems and ruminating about them. What is the trick to being able to think about a problem without letting it consume you and your good mood? The following guidelines can help you to examine your life and problems without feeling owned by themâ€"to process emotions without falling into the rumination trap. Journaling With a Happy Ending Many studies have confirmed that journaling is an effective strategy for managing stress and processing emotions. However, a journal can be used for rumination just as easily as another person can be used for this purposeâ€" more easily, in many cases, because there is nobody telling the ruminating person that this is a bad idea to focus on lifes frustrations indefinitely. How can a journal be used? One way is to go over negative events, fully exploring emotions, but being sure to end on a positive note: discuss what you learned from the situation, what you gained in terms of personal growth, and what you hope for in the future. Journaling Without Heroes or Villains Talk about past events and look at why certain things happened, but work on forgiving those responsible rather than hating them; forgive yourself, too, without ignoring the role you played (so you can learn) Take responsibility for what you may have seen coming, and Write about what you wish happened, but also write about the negative things that could have happened if you’d gotten what you wanted. Write about times in the past where you’ve got what you wanted, but it’s turned out differently than you’d expected, and times when you didn’t get what you wanted but got something better. Try Gratitude Journaling Start a gratitude journalâ€"it helps to be reminded of the good things in life, and there are ALWAYS good things that can be remembered and appreciated. Doing so can help your health and happiness levels. Start a meditation practice. This allows you to distance yourself from your problems, re-examine how you are handling your problems (are you engaging in self-sabotage or cognitive distortions?) and reach for better-feeling thoughts. Give Yourself a Break Distract yourself with something fun that can lift your mood. It may seem like sticking a band-aid on a broken arm, but finding some distance between yourself and your stressors, and then filling this space with activities you already know will make you feel better has been shown to create greater levels of happiness and lower levels of stress. Take advantage of it!