When you notice you keep replaying the same upsetting thing, switch to something you do with your hands
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Saves time
- Free
- Takes minutes
- Some willpower
In plain words
Replaying the same upsetting thing will not produce an answer. It only deepens depression, nails the negative thoughts in more firmly, makes you worse at solving problems and less able to act, and wears out the people around you who are willing to listen. When you notice you are going in circles, go do something that takes your hands.
- Cost
-
Free. The hard part is first noticing that you are replaying it over and over (this is called rumination); noticing takes practice itself.
- What you get
-
A review of several studies says that replaying the same upsetting thing (rumination) makes depression worse. It also reinforces negative thinking and weakens problem-solving. It gets in the way of actually doing things, and wears out the people around you who are willing to listen. It is linked to anxiety, binge eating, heavy drinking and self-harm.
- Notes
-
The review gives only a direction, with no numbers. “Switch to something else” is the author's own practice. All the literature can support is one sentence: diverting your attention is better than continuing to go in circles. As for what to switch to, nobody has compared them.
- Evidence grade
- B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.
- Sources
-
- Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco & Lyubomirsky (2008). Rethinking Rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 3, tip 14. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer