Episode 670: 5 Ways To Stop Ruminating (Mindset & Self-Care)

EBT670 – 5 Ways To Stop Ruminating

Intro  00:01

Hey food bloggers. Thank you so much for joining me in this mindset and self-care focused episode here on Eat Blog Talk. One of the reasons I started a blog talk was to hold a space to talk about the importance of mindset and self-care. Being an entrepreneur can be a lot. If we are not taking care of ourselves, then getting actionable information about SEO Pinterest or whatever else is all moot. I will meet you back here every Wednesday to discuss various mindset and self-care topics. So you have the energy and space to tackle the rest.

[00:00:36] Megan Porta  

Hey food bloggers, how am I sounding this week? Am I sounding better? I think I’m finally healing from my sickness. The never ending sickness of 2025. Actually it is ending.  

 I declare it is ending. I am so happy to be here. Welcome to this mindset and self care focused episode of Eat Blog Talk. Thank you for joining me. In today’s episode we’re going to talk about five Ways to Stop Ruminating I’ve been ruminating a lot on the topic of ruminating lately. Seriously though, it’s just time for me to put an end to the endless rumination that goes on inside my head.

[00:01:13]   

 I had a session recently with my business mindset coach and he called me out on something that I really needed to hear. I love this by the way that he calls me out on my bs. It is so good for me. And this is part of the reason why I always have a business coach.

[00:01:32]   

 I love it. So I was talking about my more challenging year of 2024 and how multiple factors and events just drained me throughout the course of the year. He said to me, megan, you do realize that it wasn’t the events and the outside factors that drained you last year, and that it was the stories you created in your mind and wouldn’t let go of that drained you, right?

[00:02:00]   

 Wow. I was like, yeah, you’re right. It was hard to hear, honestly, but he was so right. So I am officially taking responsibility for everything that I have labeled as being negative or challenging in the year of 2024. It was not the events themselves that caused my pain. It was the way I kept playing them over and over in my head and creating these ridiculous stories from the stories.

[00:02:30]   

 My current state and situation is a result of previous thinking. Your current state and situation that you’re in right now is a result of your previous thinking. When we ruminate, when we worry and create those stories that sometimes have no basis in truth in our heads, we’re setting the stage for future discord.

[00:02:53]   

 Discord starts with the bad thoughts, the incessant ruminating, and the overthinking. So I say we teach ourselves how to stop the ruminating so that our futures do not involve discord, illness, disease, strife, and unfortunate circumstances. What does ruminating look like? For me, it can be obsessively reliving a conversation, replaying a mistake I made, or obsessing over something that’s completely out of my control.

[00:03:24]   

 None of this is healthy. None of it is fruitful or productive. And once I start ruminating, I find it very, very difficult to hop off that crazy train and get back to a healthy mental state. But there are tricks. So in today’s episode, let’s walk through five strategies to stop ruminating so you and I, all of us, can reclaim peace and mental clarity.

[00:03:49] Sponsor (Kristina Cadelina) 

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[00:04:35]  Megan Porta 

 Let’s start with number one, meditation. Yep, here I go again about meditation. I swear, you guys, regular meditation will help so many things in your life. One of those things is helping it to curb incessant rumination. When you train your brain to shut down even for just a short period of time every day, it’s like building up protection against the rumination monster.

[00:04:58]   

 The more you meditate, the stronger your protection becomes. I noticed after a stretch of probably just a week when I started taking meditation really seriously last year, that when in the midst of working through something crazy and unnecessary in my mind, I was able to recognize what was happening. Crazy train. And I was able to put a stop to it some of the time, but some of the time is better than never.

[00:05:27]   

 Rumination, for me, never feels good. It’s like this unhealthy habit that I get pulled into. I know I should try to step out of it, but it feels impossible in the moment. That momentum can really pull me in so deeply. But meditation is a powerful tool that helps to interrupt that cycle of Overthinking when you practice mindfulness, you’re training your brain to be present in the moment, which prevents you from spiraling into negative thoughts.

[00:05:56]   

 As Nick Trenton mentions in the book Stop Overthinking. Highly recommend that book by the way, if you’re an overthinker. Meditation helps clear your mind and fosters an awareness of your thoughts without becoming attached to them. How Meditation Stops Rumination meditation helps you detach from your thoughts so you can observe them without reacting to them.

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 By regularly practicing mindfulness and meditation, you learn to control your attention and you can bring yourself back to the present whenever your mind starts to wander. The more frequently you meditate, the easier it becomes to pull yourself out from the crazy train of overthinking. Here are a few tips. Start small with meditation Begin with just five minutes of quiet breathing every day.

[00:06:44]   

 Even just a few minutes will make a huge difference in breaking that cycle of rumination. Use a guided meditation app if you’re new to meditating, apps like Calm or Headspace are great for beginners. They offer really easy to follow sessions that can help you just get your mind focused and not overthinking on things that you shouldn’t be thinking about.

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 Focus on a mantra A simple mantra like I’m here now or Let it go can be really helpful in just keeping your mind grounded in the present moment. This can help prevent it from drifting into past thinking or future worries or anxieties. Make it a daily habit. The more consistent you are, the more effective it’ll be.

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 Try to make meditation a non negotiable part of your routine, even if it’s just a few minutes each morning or every evening before bed. And use breathing exercises if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just try deep breathing by slowly inhaling for a count of four, holding for a count of four, then exhaling for a count of four, and so on.

[00:07:48]   

 This simple practice will calm your nervous system and break that rumination cycle. Number two Journaling if you’ve never read the book the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, I highly recommend this book. I had such a lovely experience the first time I read through really helped me to cultivate a love for creativity and to put habits in place that ensured I was exercising creativity regularly.

[00:08:16]   

 It also helped me understand the power and importance of journaling. In the book, Julia encourages readers to do what she calls Morning Pages. Morning Pages is a daily journaling practice that involves just stream of consciousness writing. The idea is that you get all of your thoughts, no matter how insignificant they might seem, out onto paper so that you can do a brain dump of sorts to clear the thoughts from your mind for the day.

[00:08:47]   

 Also so you can look at the words you’ve just dumped out onto paper and and see how insignificant some of your thoughts really are. Inside our heads, that incessant chatter seems important and meaningful. That’s why we keep the cycle going over and over and over. It feels like it’s really important. Oh my gosh.

[00:09:06]   

 I can’t believe he said that to me. What is wrong with him? Maybe I’ll ignore him for a week out of spite. Can you believe what he did? And then we go over things over and over and over. It’s crazy. In my head. Something like that might actually make sense at the time, but once I see it on paper, it’s like I’m calling myself out.

[00:09:24]   

 It’s a lot like what I mentioned earlier with my business coach calling me out on my bs. That’s what journaling is like. We have the opportunity to call ourselves out, which feels even more powerful. Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper is such a great way to release that mental clutter that fuels rumination.

[00:09:45]   

 Through journaling, we can externalize the thoughts that are spinning around in our heads and gain a little bit of perspective on them so we can analyze them more objectively. How Journaling Stops Rumination Journaling provides a safe space to vent, process emotions, and identify patterns in our thinking. Once thoughts are written down, you can challenge the words.

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 You can reframe them, which will help you to break free from that loop of overthinking and rumination. Here are a few tips for effective journaling Set a Timer for just five to 10 minutes. If you feel like you don’t have time for multiple morning pages, write down everything that’s on your mind without holding back.

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 Just let it flow super freely. Don’t worry about grammar or structure. The goal is to get your thoughts out. You could also use journaling prompts if you’re feeling stuck. Prompts can help spark deeper reflection. Some examples are what am I afraid of right now? What is one positive thing I can focus on today?

[00:10:45]   

 Or what do I need to let go of in order to move forward? Try revisiting your journal entries. After maybe a week or so. Go back and read what you wrote so you can gain some perspective. You might notice that some of your thoughts were exaggerated or super unhelpful, and this can help you stop repeating the cycle in your mind.

[00:11:06]   

 Use gratitude focused journaling. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or negative, shift your focus to writing out your gratitude points, write down at least three things you’re thankful for that day in that moment. This will help break the cycle of rumination by redirecting your thoughts toward something positive or multiple things positive. Create a Brain Dump Notebook Keep a dedicated journal for those moments when your mind feels like it’s spiraling out of control.

[00:11:35]   

 Use it solely for venting, making lists, and just getting your worries out of your head. Knowing that you have a designated spot for these thoughts will give you a sense of relief and control. Lastly, look for patterns in your writing. After several journaling sessions, you might start to recognize recurring themes or negative thinking patterns.

[00:11:55]   

 This will give you a clue as to what is fueling your rumination so you can address those things more directly. Number three Healthy Distractions I love a good, healthy distraction. This has been one of the secret weapons I’ve carried in my pocket over the years. It’s something I’ve used for myself, but also I use it for my kids.

[00:12:17]   

 When one of my boys would get something in his head that he just could not let go of, I, like so many parents out there, would find something to distract him with which would get him out of his head. The distractions that I would use for my boys are obviously much different than the distractions I use for myself, but the concept and the end result is the same.

[00:12:39]   

 We all have our unique distractions that work well for us. When you find yourself in rumination that is not productive or not serving, you just train yourself to pull out one of your distractions. This is a way to completely redirect your attention. Engaging in an activity like reading, cooking, or just listening to music gives your brain something positive to focus on, creating a mental pause from your ruminating thoughts.

[00:13:07]   

 How Healthy Distractions Stop Rumination Healthy distractions work because they provide a new focus, allowing your brain to completely switch gears. Instead of continuing to dwell on negative thoughts, you give yourself permission to step away mentally and immerse yourself in something that you enjoy and that’s actually productive. By doing this, you stop the cycle of rumination and you reset your mind.

[00:13:33]   

 Here are a few tips for healthy distractions. You can try physical activities, so engage in something that gets your body moving, like yoga, walking, or even a little dance session or stretching or something like that. Physical movement helps release that built up tension and shifts your focus away from mental chatter. Try learning a new skill or hobby.

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 Get your mind off overthinking by picking up something completely new. It could be knitting, crocheting, painting, playing an instrument, cooking a new recipe that you’ve never tried before or a new method of cooking. Maybe learning something new and fresh is such a great way to re engage your brain in a positive way.

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 Watch a TV show or listen to a podcast. If you prefer something more passive, engage with a fun TV show that you’ve never seen or an uplifting podcast. These can offer a gentle way to distract yourself while also giving you fresh ideas and or entertainment. Try doing something creative. Creativity can be an amazing way to escape rumination.

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 Try doodling, journaling, or starting a small craft project. Any form of art would work. The goal isn’t perfection and creating a perfect masterpiece, but simply giving your mind a fun outlet to express itself. Engage in nature Sometimes the best distraction is just a change of scenery. Go for a walk in nature, take a moment to sit outside or just visit a park.

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 Nature has a calming effect that helps reset your mental state. Declutter or tidy up. If you need something productive, tackle a small organization task like tidying up your workspace or decluttering a drawer in your home. This gives your brain a task to focus on and helps you create a sense of accomplishment. And last Connect with others.

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 Reach out to a friend or a family member just for a casual conversation. Sometimes just talking things out with someone you trust can help break that cycle of rumination and offer a new perspective. Number four Reframe or reset your thoughts. This option for stopping rumination might seem very overly simplified, but I love simple solutions.

[00:15:51]   

 When it comes to quieting unnecessary mental chatter, I say yes, please. Too simple. I think the key is being able to recognize when the rumination is out of control. First and foremost. Then you can start training yourself to pull a few of these strategies out of your prepared little back pocket so you can shut down the crazy train.

[00:16:13]   

 With this one, you just need to prompt yourself to shift your thinking to something different and something that is more positive and productive. A really easy way to do this is to have an affirmation ready to use when needed. So your trigger is you notice what’s going on. Your mind is going crazy with overthinking and rumination.

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 The action Repeat a simple line to yourself, one I use a lot that I feel can reset or frame Basically any crazy thought that’s running through my brain is I love. I am loved. I choose love. I figure love cures everything. It literally wipes out all fear, all negativity in the entire universe.

[00:16:56]   

 So that is my default. I’m not even really sure where this affirmation came from, but that makes it even more authentic. Maybe it came to me straight from God. Who knows? It just came into my mind one day and now it rolls off my tongue or rolls around in my head all the time.

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 Multiple times a day, I say this affirmation. This is usually enough to break free from my rumination and give myself a needed reset. Or instead of reciting an affirmation, you could simply stop your thoughts and change the script. Something like what if I sounded like an idiot on that call? By the way, Something I have thought many times could be reframed as what if I kicked butt on that call?

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 By changing the way you view what you’re thinking, you can regain a little bit of control over your mind and break the crazy cycle. How Reframing and Resetting can Stop Rumination Reframing helps you challenge the validity of your thoughts and replace them with more realistic, balanced and empowering beliefs. By shifting your perspective, you move from a place of fear and negativity to one of clarity and empowerment, which reduces that intensity of emotion and that need to really be tied to your thoughts and it frees you from that crazy cycle of rumination.

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 Some tips for this you can ask yourself, what is the actual evidence for and against this thought? When you are mentally spiraling, try to find evidence that contradicts your negative thought. This can help you to challenge that distorted thinking and see the situation more objectively. Look for a more balanced perspective instead of focusing just on worst case scenarios.

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 Ask what’s the best that could happen? Or what’s the most realistic outcome here. This helps you reframe negative thinking into something more empowering. Practice self compassion. Just remind yourself that it is normal to have negative thoughts. You do not have to let them control you though. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer to a friend, a partner, or to a child.

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 This simple act of self compassion will help stop rumination in its tracks. You could try reframing past events when you’re ruminating on something in the past, or maybe a regret. Reframe those things as learning opportunities. Ask yourself, what did I learn from this? How can I apply this that lesson in the future?

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 Shifting from regret to growth enables you to let go of the past and focus on what you’re doing in the moment and how you intend to improve in the future. Use positive affirmations. Keep a few affirmations on hand that really work for you, like the one I mentioned earlier. For me, whether it’s something like I’m enough or I trust the process or I choose peace, these affirmations can really Help you reset your thoughts and move forward with with a much more positive mindset.

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 And last suggestion, Create a thought stopper. Pick a phrase or a mantra or action that you can use whenever you catch yourself ruminating. Something simple like stop or reset or something I’ve used in the past is cancel. These words can signal your brain to hit that mental pause button. And number five, change your environment and act on it now.

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 And just to point out that number three, which is reframing or resetting your thoughts, is more about distracting your mind through activities. While this point is about taking immediate action to physically shift your environment, which will help you break free from negative thinking in real time. This is a new strategy I’ve been trying, and I’m kind of in love with it.

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 Changing my environment is not something that comes naturally to me when it comes to taming my rumination. When I am caught up in the overthinking, I am caught up in the overthinking. So again, this might be a strategy that you will need to train yourself to follow through with if you notice that you need to step in and just help yourself out a little bit.

[00:21:14]   

 I heard someone talking about this strategy on a podcast, or maybe it was an audiobook recently. Just that physical activity is the antidote to rumination. So I decided to give it a try. The next time I noticed that I was going down that insane rabbit hole of unhealthy thinking, I put on my purple walking shoes without even thinking about it and I just took a quick walk around my neighborhood.

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 And guess what? It worked. It doesn’t even have to be that. It doesn’t have to be a walk outside around your neighborhood. Sometimes I’ll just leave the room I’m in. I’ll go to another room in my house and start doing something completely different from what I was doing before. And this works too.

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 If you notice that rumination has taken a hold of your mind, try doing an immediate environment change. Don’t overthink it or pause too long. Just quickly act and make a change pronto. That sudden shift in your surroundings will disrupt your mental state and help you break free from the crazy spiral. Whether it’s stepping outside, going to another room, or doing something physical, like stretching or doing a yoga pose, this physical shift helps to reset your mind in the moment.

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 How Changing your environment stops rumination. Changing your environment creates an immediate distraction that works on a physical level. By breaking the physical routine and introducing movement or fresh surroundings, you’re shifting your energy, your focus, and your thoughts, which is going to Help you stop that rumination cycle. Here are a few tips for changing your environment.

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 Go for a quick walk outside. Just taking a few minutes to walk around your neighborhood, even if it’s just five minutes or just around the block, is going to help reset your thoughts and allow you to refocus on better things on your surroundings rather than your internal chatter. Plus the fresh air and movement just always help.

[00:23:16]   

 Step away from your desk or workspace. If you are working and you notice your thoughts starting to spiral, just take a break. Force yourself to move to another room or just go get a glass of water or something to eat. Maybe just step outside onto your deck or patio for a little bit.

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 The change in scenery helps to interrupt the cycle. That physical shift of space gives your mind a chance to reset. You could try doing a grounding technique. I do this once in a while and it works almost every time. Just to make it easy, you could call it 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

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 Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. This will help bring your focus back to the present moment and pull you out of your rumination. And just anything physical. So even something as simple as getting away from the environment you’re in and doing two minutes of stretching or 50 jumping jacks or sit ups or pushups will help to shift your energy and break that rumination.

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 Any physical movement is going to redirect your focus and help release that pent up energy or even anxiety. Just a few minutes of movement is going to interrupt any negative thinking going on in your head. And like I’ve mentioned, just change your scenery. If it happens to be cold out and you’re kind of stuck inside, that’s okay.

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 Just try going to a different room. Or what about rearranging your workspace so it just is set up a little bit differently. The small change can really create a significant shift in your mindset. And last on this one, engage your senses. Try something that engages multiple senses, like cooking. That’s a given for a lot of us.  Lighting a candle or listening to music. Engaging more of your senses will bring you into the moment and do a great job of diverting your attention away from rumination.

[00:25:20]   

That is all I have for you. Today we explored five ways to stop ruminating and just take back control of your mind. Number one meditation. 2. Journaling. 3. Dig into those healthy distractions. 4. Reframe or reset your thoughts. And 5. Change your environment and do do it now. Trust me, I know rumination can feel like a never ending cycle, but I’m really hoping these actionable strategies will give you a few options for stopping it when it happens to you. The key is recognizing when you’re starting to go down that road of overthinking and then using one or more of these strategies to reclaim your peace because you deserve that. Make small consistent changes with this so you can help yourself break free from the crazy train of overthinking. You’ve got this. Thank you so much for tuning in this week you guys. I will see you next week

Outro 

Thank you so much for listening to this mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. If you are a food blogger providing a service for other food bloggers, and you want to spread the word about the value that you offer. I would love to offer you a free way to do just this. Send me a 60 second audio clip to be featured in a mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. Go to eatblogtalk.com/audioclip to learn more.