Why does knowing we overthink not help us stop? In this episode of the Being Well Podcast, Dr. Rick and Forrest discuss why rumination becomes a self-reinforcing habit, and why insight alone rarely helps. They distinguish between rumination and reflection, and talk about how balancing acceptance and agency can help us go from one to the other. Forrest talks about the relationship between overthinking and feelings of disappointment and failure, and Rick shares practical ways to interrupt the cycle, shift into more concrete forms of problem-solving, and finally stop ruminating.
Rick’s Rumination Course: If rumination is a persistent issue for you, check out Rick’s five-week online course focused on practical tools for letting go of these negative thought loops. Learn more at RickHanson.com/ruminating, and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Previous episodes on rumination and overthinking:
- Breaking the Self-Awareness Trap: How to Stop Overthinking | Being Well
- Rumination: How to Disrupt Obsessive Thoughts | Being Well Podcast
Key Topics
- 0:00: Intro: what is rumination
- 5:35: Why we ruminate
- 21:06: Why rumination doesn’t help us
- 25:24: Moving from rumination to reflection
- 29:56: [Sponsor] Shopify
- 31:35: Rumination as a habit
- 38:40: Interrupting the rumination habit
- 46:44: Radical helplessness and radical resourcefulness
- 53:43: More ways to move from abstract to concrete thinking
- 1:07:23: The role of mindfulness
- 1:13:32: Recap
Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.
