Anxiety rumination is a real problem. As we show you, there is much you can learn to end this rumination. We discuss how to stop rumination.
Moreover, as you will see, when you focus on what you have to do, your anxiety loses its control over you. And you become empowered to do whatever you need t0 do.
You have it in you. Don’t back down. Stand up for what you know you have to do. In other words, don’t be afraid to do the right thing, whatever it is.
Susan Nolen-Hoeksema of Yale University defines rumination as the tendency to passively think about the meaning, origins, and consequences of our negative emotions.1
This process of anxiety rumination will naturally lead to some folks trying to avoid situations because, as stated, rumination is a passive process and basically being totally passive can make one more passive and likely to do anything to challenge the feelings we have and moving forward in any proactive way. You see rumination is harmful regardless of who does it.2
Let me discuss a personal example of anxiety rumination
I was at a meeting recently with about 20 people and because of what I brought to the table I was put on the “hot seat.” All of a sudden I was being peppered by questions. My initial reaction was to get very nervous and I instantly got an extreme tightness in the pit of my stomach.
I knew the material, though, and began speaking. Something great happened: although I was very nervous, I began speaking and did just fine. My anxiety lessened dramatically and I gave answers in a calm but effective manner.
Now I am not providing this example to show off. Rather, I want to illustrate that when we are required to do something, because of one situation or another, we often do much better than anticipated and nothing drastic happens.
Furthermore, because we are not able to back out of the situation, we will face it head on and do just fine. Often an anxiety sufferer will avoid many situations, where he or she would have done just fine.
Why does this help with anxiety rumination?
As in the personal example provided: when we are put in a situation in which we need to act calmly and logically, we become calm and logical. We are held accountable to our statements and have to respond in calm and logical way. When we ruminate we go in circles with our thoughts. We simply think more and more negative memories in a passive way.
It’s obviously very helpful that we’re preoccupied with something else so that we cannot focus on our anxiety.
Let’s put this example another way…
If you’ve ever heard a performer talk about the experience he or she had when acting or performing before a live audience, you’ll likely have heard it said that at first he or she was very nervous. (Even Robin Williams has reported suffering from anxiety before a performance!)
Yet somehow these performers make it through just fine and the anxiety subsides.
Why do you think this is so?
This is because when performers need to focus on their lines and actions and they cannot focus on both their anxiety and their lines so the anxiety falls away.
In other words, when you focus on whatever you have to do, your anxiety loses its control over you, and you become empowered to do whatever you need t0 do. You have it in you. Don’t back down. Stand up for what you know you have to do. In other words, don’t be afraid to do the right thing, whatever it is.
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References
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1991). Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of
depressive episodes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 569-582
M. Anestis. Rumination: How just thinking about the problem can make the problem worse.
Retrieved November 6, 2010 from Psychotherapy Brown Bag website:
http://www.psychotherapybrownbag.com/psychotherapy_brown_bag_a/2009/03/rumination-how-just-thinking-about-the-problem-can-make-the-problem-worse.html