[00:00:00] Lori Gouhin: Hello, my friends. I am so glad that you are here with me today because today I want to talk about rumination.
[00:00:07] Lori Gouhin: And what I mean by that is, for example, have you ever caught yourself stuck replaying past conversations over and over, or maybe worrying endlessly about something that's, possibly going to happen in the future, This mental habit, and yes, it's a habit, is known as rumination. And it's something that many of us experience both in our personal and professional lives.
[00:00:31] Lori Gouhin: And while it's natural to reflect on past events and plan for the future, persistent rumination can become a significant barrier to your well being and to your success. And so while a little bit of reflection is great, too much can really throw a wrench in your personal happiness and your professional life.
[00:00:49] Lori Gouhin: So I want to talk about what rumination really is, why we all do it from time to time, and how it can really mess with your day to day life. And then I'll also share some practical strategies that I use in my own life and business to help myself and others snap out of that endless thought loop. So whether you're working a nine to five, building your own business, or really just trying to get through your daily to do list,learning how to deal with your repetitive thoughts really is key to staying balanced and moving forward. So let's unpack what rumination is, or as I like to call it, the art of overthinking. So rumination is basically when your brain decides to be like a DJ, right? replaying the same thoughts, worries, and scenarios on a loop.
[00:01:31] Lori Gouhin: For example, Have you ever, found yourself thinking maybe about that awkward email you sent last week or that big presentation that's coming up next month, you just keep thinking and thinking about it and how it's going to go. That's like your brain's spinning on those tracks, right?
[00:01:47] Lori Gouhin: And personally, I had the most awkward conversation with someone recently, he asked me a simple enough question, but I overthought it before I answered. And when I did answer, he was like, Oh, that'll never [00:02:00] work. And then he gave me his reasoning for why that wouldn't work. And then he asked me several other questions after that, that I equally awkwardly answered because I was still thinking about that first.
[00:02:12] Lori Gouhin: answer that I gave, and regretting what I said, and that I couldn't even focus on the questions he was asking me. And I was still thinking about it the next day. So why do we do this to ourselves? It often starts with a simple desire, really, to figure things out. Because we think that if we replay a situation enough times, we might solve it.
[00:02:31] Lori Gouhin: Kind of like a detective, right? Solving for a mystery. But unlike a detective, we're not usually solving anything. And sometimes, We're just stuck watching the same thing on repeat in our brain and the habit can sneak into our daily lives under the guise of being helpful because after all thinking things through, that's good, isn't it?
[00:02:48] Lori Gouhin: But there's a thin line between helpful contemplation and getting caught in mental quicksand. And the tricky part is recognizing when we've crossed that line. So are we processing and planning or are we just really stuck Understanding this can make a huge difference in how we handle challenges and stress, both in our personal lives and at work.
[00:03:08] Lori Gouhin: If you're leading a team or running a business, being able to distinguish between productive thinking and ruminating thoughts is really crucialBecause really in your life, you want to be the leader who navigates, not the person who's running in circles.
[00:03:22] Lori Gouhin: So now that we understand what ruminating is, and why we do it, and why our brain loves reruns apparently, let's talk about the ripple effects that this can have. Because rumination really works its way into our lives subtly, and it influences everything from our inner peace to our social interactions and our workplace environments.
[00:03:42] Lori Gouhin: In our personal lives, rumination can be like a friend that overstays their welcome. Emotionally, this constant overthinking can lead us to feeling anxious, sad, or even hopeless. And these feelings can seep into our relationships too. For example, have you ever found yourself snapping at someone? [00:04:00] Because you were annoyed about something that happened days ago, not what's happening in the moment, but something that happened days ago.
[00:04:06] Lori Gouhin: That's rumination. And socially, it can be tricky too. For example, have you ever zoned out while a friend was talking because you were stuck thinking about something else? For example, like what I was just talking about with a conversation I had with this person, as he continued to ask me questions, I was literally zoning out because I was thinking about what I had said the first time.
[00:04:27] Lori Gouhin: And so our ability to genuinely connect with others can really be hijacked by our preoccupied minds. And we might miss out on important cues or to really fully engage in the conversation because part of our brain is stuck in another time zone. Mulling over past events or future worries, and it can leave the people that we're interacting with our friends or family co workers they're feeling neglected or unimportant because people can tell when you're not really paying attention and in the professional world.
[00:04:55] Lori Gouhin: Rumination can really be a productivity killer because instead of moving forward, we get stuck analyzing past decisions or worrying about future outcomes. And that means you have less brain power for innovative thinking or solving problems right there in front of you. And here's another thing.
[00:05:10] Lori Gouhin: Rumination doesn't just affect our mental and emotional wellbeing. It can. Actually, take a toll physically, for example, like when you feel a knot in your stomach or that tension headache that comes on when you're stressed,That's your body reacting to your mind's endless loop of thoughts. The stress of constant overthinking triggers your body's feelings. Fight or flight response, it's all connected, which is why it's so important to keep your thoughts in check because over time, these symptoms can compound and they can lead to more serious health issues.
[00:05:39] Lori Gouhin: And that sets off a vicious cycle where your physical health issues reinforce the mental patterns of rumination because now you're ruminating on your health issues. And so by recognizing and addressing how this really does impact our lives, we can begin to reclaim our mental clarity and emotional stability And so what can we do about this? How can [00:06:00] we break free? When it comes to breaking free from the mental treadmill of rumination, it's crucial to really shake up your usual patterns and bring some new strategies into play. and one effective yet often overlooked approach is something that's referred to as cognitive diversity, and this involves deliberately exposing yourself to new ideas or unfamiliar situations that challenge your usual way of thinking, because by doing so, you can disrupt repetitive cycles of thought, and you can foster new neural connections.
[00:06:31] Lori Gouhin: For example, reading a book on a subject you know nothing about or engaging in a debate on a topic that's outside of your expertise can provide you with a fresh perspective that will crowd out all of those ruminating thoughts that were previously going on. Another interesting technique, and this one's probably my favorite, is scheduled worry time.
[00:06:51] Lori Gouhin: And I know it sounds counterintuitive, but when you allocate a specific time each day, say maybe 15 minutes in the afternoon, to focus solely on your worries, you can contain and control ruminating thoughts. Because during this time, you're free to worry about whatever it is you want. Plan or ponder to your heart's content.
[00:07:09] Lori Gouhin: However, outside of this period, you consciously put those thoughts aside. And this strategy can be surprisingly effective at reducing the urge to ruminate because it gives your concerns a place and a time, and it removes their power to invade the rest of your day. There's also power in environmental shifts.
[00:07:26] Lori Gouhin: And I know we've talked about this strategy, in other contexts, but changing your physical surroundings can really have a profound impact on your mental state. So if you find yourself ruminating, change your environment, and this could mean anything from rearranging your workspace. to possibly taking your work to a cafe, or just even going for a walk in a new place or a different loop, because different environments stimulate different senses.
[00:07:51] Lori Gouhin: And this can effectively interrupt the loop of rumination. Another powerful strategy is to engage in flow activities. And flow is a [00:08:00] state where you're so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. Time flies. Your incessant thoughts fade away. Painting is one of those activities for me, but it can literally be anything you choose.
[00:08:11] Lori Gouhin: And I'll leave you with one more. And that's something known as strategic disengagement, and this means intentionally stepping back from the mental work of problem solving and analysis, and instead engage in activities that are more restorative and rejuvenating. So this could be anything like deep breathing exercises meditation, or even engaging in playful activities like video games or sports.
[00:08:36] Lori Gouhin: These activities will help reset your cognitive processes and really reduce the intensity of the ruminating thoughts. And so to wrap it up, understanding the ins and outs of rumination really does empower us to take control in turning off what feels like a mental burden and instead create opportunities for personal and professional growth.
[00:08:55] Lori Gouhin: Whether it's embracing cognitive diversity, scheduling designated worry times, altering your environment, engaging in activities that produce the flow state, or practicing strategic disengagement, each strategy will offer a path to a more focused and alternative way of thinking. And the beauty of these approaches lies in their ability to not just reduce unnecessary ruminating thoughts, but to enhance our overall mental well being and emotional resilience.
[00:09:22] Lori Gouhin: And By actively choosing where to focus your mental energy, you can significantly improve your quality of life and the effectiveness of achieving your goals. And so I'll be curious to hear about your own experiences with these strategies, or maybe some other ones that you've discovered that really help you reach out to me on social media, let me know what's working for you.
[00:09:42] Lori Gouhin: And if you would like help around this or any other mindset and goal strategies, you can find out more about my personalized private coaching on my website at www. theartworkofyou. com.