Introspection and Rumination

Rumination is defined as the compulsively focused attention on the symptoms of one's distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions. Rumination is similar to worry except rumination focuses on bad feelings and experiences from the past, whereas worry is concerned with potential bad events in the future. Both rumination and worry are associated with anxiety and other negative emotional states. There is a difference between rumination and introspection. Anyone spending a lot of time in one’s own head is at risk of digging into rumination holes. One has to be mindful to prevent healthy self-examination from degenerating into unproductive rumination. Introspection is examination of thoughts, desires and conducts and is productive, rumination is not. Rumination is repetitive, negativistic, and often self-flagellating and a major risk factor for anxiety and depression.

Time spent alone in thought can be positive; a rich environment for personal growth and creativity, but it can also be dangerous when it is negatively turned against one’s self. Introspection is a process of healthy self-reflection, examination, and exploration, which is good for well-being of brain.

Neuroscientist and mindfulness experts describe time reflecting on oneself as “time in;” a period in which a person checks in with himself to see where one is emotionally. This “time in” is one of seven suggested activities on healthy mind platter. The problem is that mind is not always a safe place. Every person is divided between a healthy attitude toward self that is goal-directed and life-affirming, and a destructive side that can be self-critical, self-denying, paranoid, and suspicious. This inner critic or anti-self or critical inner voice can take over thinking and lead to rumination. Rumination occurs when one becomes trapped in negative cycle of circular thinking. This kind of thinking has a strong link to depression and suicide.

When one is in the realistic point of view of real self, one can have positive self-reflection. When one is in the point of view of anti-self, experiencing thoughts that focus on self as bad, one must avoid ruminating. When introspecting, one must adopt an attitude of curiosity, openness, acceptance and love and think about what one wants to challenge in self and how to differentiate from negative past influences. This gives life a meaning and direction without falling victim to inner critic that confiscates back and prevents one from achieving goals.

Another definition of rumination is repeated and passive thinking about the consequences of problems rather than getting into problem solving. For example, thinking about, "Why can’t I stop binge eating?" instead of chopping up a salad to take to work for lunch. Also, people often ruminate about comments other people have made. The trap of rumination sometimes thinking in-depth does lead to useful insights. When anything works intermittently such as a child asking parents for chocolate, those behaviors tend to be very resistant to change. It is the intermittent reinforcement trap.

Introverts needs silence to think about thoughts, because they often are more sensitive to everything around them, they need that down time, without interruption and input from the outside world, to process the stuff of the day, the interactions, their reactions to them, and simply to think their thoughts.

Introspection is about growth, we look inward in order to learn. Rumination is about getting stuck; the wheels are turning, but not getting anywhere other than to frustration, depression and anger. I don't think we'd worry about spending too much time being introspective, but when it comes to ruminating; if someone showed us the exit, we'd take it!

Instead of rehearsing, regurgitating, replaying experience, start making action plans. Explore, what can be done about the situation one cannot stop thinking about, and then face up to the conflict. Write out action plan. Even if not ready to take action, seeing action plan in writing will be part of the "getting ready" process. Set a time limit on rethinking, make five-minute appointments with yourself a couple of times during the day where you can ruminate if you like, but between the appointments, refuse to take worry's call: say, “You are too busy.”

The point that differentiates rumination from introspection is a great one. That point in some form often comes up in therapy. One often just knows when one is going over old ground or problem solving. There is a difference. The feeling that comes along is different with each one. With introspection, there is a sense of exploring something, considering new perspectives, and is more aware of feelings. Rumination feels like not just going in circles, but also digging in to oneself further into distressed feelings. So, being aware of thoughts, feelings, and reasons are essential for knowing the difference; and being compassionate to the struggle is essential in working ways through it. For this reason, one has to develop compassionate self-awareness, that is to say, a combination of self-compassion and self-awareness. Compassionate self-awareness provides a helpful perspective for many struggles.

Mindfulness comes up in anything we imagine to achieve in life. Wherever you go, there you are, so practice living a quiet life in this noisy world.

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