Stop brooding: How to free yourself from negative thoughts

Reading time 6 minutes

Thoughts go round in circles. Although conflicts are not solved by brooding, many people constantly think about problems. Often the compulsion to brood occurs when the courage to make decisions is lacking.

Brooding does not get us anywhere in life. Constant, fruitless thinking produces even more unpleasant thoughts and feelings. That's why brooding can even make you sick, promote depression, anxiety and panic disorders.

It is better to stop brooding before it comes to the Habit will. How to control your thoughts and calm your brain is explained in this article.

What does rumination mean and how does it affect your life?

What does brooding mean and how does it differ from pondering? When you reflect, you think about a situation or a problem in depth. Brooding, on the other hand, has more to do with circling thoughts. However, there is no way out of this long-lasting thought process. The thoughts mostly revolve around past Events.

Brooding people usually think about themselves and evaluate their own actions hypercritically. They are convinced that they could have done things better or differently. The triggers for brooding are often conflicts and pending decisions that one wants to avoid.

Too much brooding delays the solution of problems. Those who brood remain in the status quo. Brooding is defined by recurring thoughts that make us passive and slow down our actions. At work, at school and at university, however, action- and solution-oriented thinking is required.

Do you ruminate often? An unpleasant situation, such as an upcoming meeting, an exam, or a discussion with your partner, can be the trigger for your ruminations. Fears of the future, stress and financial worries favor the tendency to brood.

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The consequences of excessive brooding

When brooding becomes a habit, brooding-free moments become rarer and rarer. You find yourself in a downward spiral from which you can only free yourself. The consequences of excessive brooding affect the physical and mental health.

Too much brooding can:

  • Self-doubt
  • Frustration
  • Feelings of powerlessness
  • Anxiety and Panic attacks
  • Sleep disorders
  • Nightmares
  • Tension

trigger.

5 exercises to calm your brain and control your thoughts

You want to stop brooding? How often do you brood? Is the urge to brood greater when you are stressed? But what helps against brooding?

We have put together some exercises for you that will help you control your thoughts better.

1. mental regeneration

Constant sensory overload at work and in everyday life overwhelmed our mind and psyche. Regular short breaks during work are sufficient for mental regeneration. Enjoy the break consciously by leaving your workplace, going outside and taking a deep breath. Distract yourself, talk to colleagues, go for a walk or drink a cup of coffee. After just 10 to 15 minutes, your brain will be relaxed and ready to receive new information.

2. breathing exercises

Breathing exercises help, internal to become calmer. Unpleasant thoughts are simply breathed away. Deep breathing works against negative feelings and brooding. Breathing correctly also helps against Stress. While inhaling, count slowly to four internally. Relax. Breathe out while counting slowly to four again. This breathing technique is called abdominal breathing or diaphragmatic breathing.

3. thought stop

Thought stopping is a proven method against brooding. When you negative thoughts you simply say aloud, "Stop!" The brain responds to this command by interrupting the train of thought. Distract yourself, occupy yourself with pleasant things, and the pressure to ruminate quickly subsides.

4. listen to music

Listening to music can be compared to a soul journey into the depths of our consciousness. Musical sounds are ideal for calming down and sorting out your thoughts. Relaxing sounds fade out the surroundings and can help you to concentrate better on yourself.

5. mind control through positive attitude

Another exercise that calms the brain is thought control by changing your perspective. Whether you experience a thought as positive or negative depends on your inner attitude. You can change that. Re-evaluate your thoughts.

Look at things with goodwill. In every situation there is something positive, beautiful or good. Conscious thought control helps to control thoughts better, so that you are not encouraged to brood by negative thinking.

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What triggers brooding?

Constant brooding is a negative form of thinking. Unfavorable thinking patterns and many other causes are possible triggers. The most common reasons for brooding are:

  • Negative self-esteem
  • Distorted self-image and self-perception
  • Existential fears
  • Worries about the future
  • Relationship conflicts
  • Mental and physical overload

Constant brooding in connection with negative thoughts can also be a symptom of depression. Typical depression ruminations are expressed by circling thoughts. Musings that are so distressing that they affect the mood are referred to as pathological rumination.

Rumination can trigger a variety of physical and mental symptoms. If you brood about problems in the evening, you probably won't be able to fall asleep. The drama in your head causes sleep problems. Constantly brooding, struggling with fate and feeling Worries increases the risk of psychologically related illnesses such as anxiety and panic disorders and burnout.

Avoid dwelling on stressful thoughts for too long. Talk to someone you trust about conflicts that are bothering you. If necessary, seek professional support from Coaching or psychological counseling.

How to stop brooding and let go of negative thoughts

What to do against brooding? Have you ever wondered how to stop brooding? This habit quickly becomes a Routine. From musings then develop negative patterns of thought and behavior.

To stop ruminating, it is necessary to expose the triggers and thought patterns. Thinking about conflicts is not always the problem. It is the constant brooding that is not good for your soul.

Distraction is one way to stop ruminating, at least temporarily. Other options to silence the negative thoughts are:

  • Dates with friends
  • Pursue a hobby
  • Sports drift
  • Take a walk
  • Be creative while painting or doing handicrafts
  • Train the brain through brainteasers
  • Meditate

Practice Meditationto let go of negative feelings. By visualizing pleasant things, you avoid unnecessary brooding. Imagine the azure sea and the beautiful feeling of walking barefoot through the sand.

Negative thinking can be quickly dispelled with a reality check. Are your Thoughts with reality agree? Is the problem really that bad or just unpleasant?

Basically find suitable solutions even for difficult or complicated conflicts. Trust you. You have the potential to make your life successful to master!

3 steps to be more mindful and live in the moment

Ruminating does not solve problems. Negative thoughts reinforce unpleasant experiences and prolong the physical stress response to unpleasant feelings. One's Needs is the first step out of the brooding carousel.

The second step on the way to more Mindfulness is to let go of worries and stressful thoughts inside you. A Coaching can help to dissolve inner blockages and feel more ease. Or do the training yourself to become a Greator Life Coach, change your life and empower others to become more mindful and live in the moment. Let go of what makes you unhappy and strengthen your self-confidence.

The third step is to get more Mindfulness to integrate into everyday life. Pay more attention to yourself. Self-mindfulness is a prerequisite for living a fulfilled and happy life. Occupying yourself with the positive, with a hobby you enjoy, strengthens the inner strength.

Look at the present as an opportunity to change your Way of life to actively shape it yourself. What is important to you? The more Clarity you have about what you want to achieve, the better you can focus on your goals. Enjoy living in the moment and don't worry unnecessarily.

Conclusion

Rumination is a negative form of thinking. Brooding prevents solutions to conflicts from being found. There are many different causes for the urge to brood.

The Let go negative feelings is a way out of the brooding carousel. Coaching can strengthen self-esteem and develop new perspectives. Stopping brooding is possible at any time.

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