#157 The Psychology of Rumination | Why We Get Stuck on Negative Thoughts (& How to Break Free)

Ever been stuck on a thought you can't shake? This episode will help you understand why that happens and what you can actually do about it. This week on the pod we break down the psychology of rumination - what happens when we get stuck on a thought and can't move past it.

We've all been there. An injury, a breakup, someone who did wrong by you, a thought that just keeps circling. You replay it, reframe it, spiral on it - and somehow feel worse than when you started. In this solo episode we define what rumination actually is, the traits and life events that make us more prone to it, the difference between rumination and healthy emotional processing, and the science-backed strategies that help us break the cycle.

We also get into the Two Wolves analogy, Andy Buchanan's mid-marathon anchoring technique, and a simple visualisation that's been a genuine game changer.

Resources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/repetitive-thoughts-emotional-processing-or-rumination-3144936
https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/rumination-a-cycle-of-negative-thinking
https://stoptransingkids.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/nolen-hoeksma-2008.pdf

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