Worry, rumination or problem-solving?
Three kinds of thinking that all feel useful, and how to tell which one you're in.
Key takeaways
- Problem-solving ends in a step. Worry runs ahead with "what if". Rumination digs back with "why".
- Worry and rumination feel like work, but they rarely get anywhere, and rumination tends to deepen low mood.
- The quick test: can I do something about this now? If yes, pick one step and a time. If not, name the loop and come back to what you were doing.
Three kinds of thinking
Going over something again and again feels like working on it. Sometimes it is. Often it's one of two loops that feel like thinking but rarely get anywhere.
Which one are you in?
- Problem-solving
Concrete, about something you can act on, and it ends in a step. "What can I do, and when?"
- Worry
Runs ahead into the future. "What if it goes wrong? What if they're angry?" Each answer raises another what if.
- Rumination
Turns back to the past, or to your mood. "Why did I say that? Why am I like this?" It digs without finding a bottom.
What the research says
Thomas Borkovec, who began studying worry in the early 1980s, found it is mostly a chain of words: an attempt to solve problems whose outcome is uncertain. Because the uncertainty never fully goes away, the chain doesn't end.
Susan Nolen-Hoeksema showed that rumination, dwelling on why you feel bad, tends to deepen low mood and make problems harder to solve, not easier.
Edward Watkins found a key difference between helpful and unhelpful repetitive thinking. Concrete "how" questions ("How could I handle this next time?") help. Abstract "why" questions ("Why does this always happen to me?") keep you stuck.
A quick test
When you notice you're going round in circles, ask:
- Is there something I can do about this now? If so, decide on one step, and when.
- If not, it isn't a problem to solve right now. Notice that you're worrying or ruminating, name it, and let your attention come back to what you're doing. Zoom out and Name the story can help.
Sort each thought.
- I'll email my landlord tonight about the heating, and call if I hear nothing by Friday.
- What if the heating breaks completely and I can't afford it and have to move?
- Why do I always mess things up? What's wrong with me?
- Next time I'm nervous before a talk, I'll practice the first minute out loud.
0 of 4 sorted
Sources and further reading
- Borkovec, T. D., Robinson, E., Pruzinsky, T., & DePree, J. A. (1983). Preliminary exploration of worry: Some characteristics and processes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21(1), 9-16.
- Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(5), 400-424.
- Watkins, E. R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163-206.
Finish the lesson
Answer the question above to complete the lesson.