It’s normal and healthy for us to try to process our experiences emotionally, but sometimes during that process we find ourselves getting stuck on the same painful memory, anxiety, or disturbing thought. This frustrating experience, known as rumination, is a common psychological challenge that is both discouraging and unhelpful.

On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson spell out what rumination is, where it comes from, and how it functions in the brain. They then explore what practices and strategies we can use to identify rumination when it comes up, and move through an obsessive thought compassionately and effectively.

Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

2:25: How do we define rumination?

7:45: What do we get out of rumination?

13:30: Distinguishing rumination from grieving

16:30: Where rumination comes from in people

18:40: The default mode network

22:30: Ways to disengage the default mode network 

25:50: Strange attractors, Krishna, and the Gopis

30:35: Thought acceptance and noting

33:15: Recurring themes of your rumination

37:10: Novelty

38:45: Self-constructing invites rumination, self-acceptance undermines it

47:05: A quick walkthrough for dealing with a negative thought

53:00: Recap

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