Have you ever been caught in a mind spiral? It could be a spiral of memories, angry rumination, anxiety, or regret. Often, we get caught up in spaces like this when we haven't been able to fully process something. Maybe we didn't get to say what we needed to say. Maybe we wish we could go back and change something. Maybe we don't feel a right to feel what we feel.
These experiences can get trapped on their way to being processed, like an arrow that hits a wall and circles back on itself over and over. It is an awful merry-go-round. Research has shown that rumination can be a mediator between depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly in young people (McLaughlin and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011). In addition, a study of 278 individuals with depression receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) found that after CBT, both depression and rumination decreased with decreased rumination being a significant predictor of a decrease in depression (Patel et al., 2023).
Yet, we also know that trying not to think of something often prompts the exact thought we want to avoid.
So, how does someone get off the merry-go-round? What follows are four strategies taken from Acceptance Commitment Therapy, a type of CBT, that may help.
Pushing negative emotions away has a way of cultivating those same emotions and can fuel rumination. For example, if we tell ourselves it is unacceptable to feel angry, we are likely to also feel guilt in addition to anger and enter into a cycle. Emotions are neither bad nor good. Feeling certain emotions doesn't make you a bad or good person. Still, allowing yourself to feel those emotions is important to release yourself from them.
Rumination often reminds us of something that needs to be heard. If you don't have a place to express those things, the emotions are more likely to spin. Find a way to express yourself. Whether it is talking to someone, writing in a journal, drawing, listening to music, running, or something else, it is important to have a space for those emotions to go.
Choosing not to ruminate is rarely a way to stop ruminating. Still, when you notice yourself ruminating, if you can label it and step away, it is easier to free yourself. You might not call it rumination; another term like "rabbit hole" or "mind spiral" might be your style. Whatever it is, when you find yourself doing it, label it and see if you can turn toward something in the present moment.
If you are finding yourself repeatedly caught in the same spider web, it might be time to talk to a psychotherapist. Psychotherapies such as CBT, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy can help you to understand your thoughts and re-ground in the present moment.
Rumination takes away from the moment and can hurt our mental health. Still, it can be a tough habit to break. Still, practices such as cultivating a healthy relationship with our emotions and mindfulness can allow us to step back into the present.
References
McLaughlin, K. A., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2011). Rumination as a transdiagnostic factor in depression and anxiety. Behaviour research and therapy, 49(3), 186-193.
Patel, A., Daros, A. R., Irwin, S. H., Lau, P., Hope, I. M., Perkovic, S. J., ... & Quilty, L. C. (2023). Associations between rumination, depression, and distress tolerance during CBT treatment for depression in a tertiary care setting. Journal of Affective Disorders, 339, 74-81.
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