Overthinking and rumination: Why it happens and what helps

By The Health News Team | June 22, 2026

Have you ever crawled into bed, exhausted, only for your mind to start racing? Maybe you replay difficult moments from your day, get stuck in negative thoughts, or find it hard to relax or fall asleep.

If so, you may be experiencing rumination.

What is rumination?

“Rumination is when someone repetitively dwells on problems, feelings and unhelpful or negative thoughts about situations,” says Lori Alford, a licensed clinical social worker at Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Behavioral Health.

“It often involves self-criticism, judgments about others or difficulty adjusting to life's circumstances when they’re not what we want,” she adds. “It’s also going over a problem repeatedly without gaining any new insight or reaching a sense of closure.”

In other words, your thoughts pull you into a negative emotional state, keeping you there rather than moving forward. And that sense of being stuck can intensify distress, disrupt sleep, affect concentration and lower motivation.

Why do we ruminate?

Alford explains that rumination is something many people fall into — a mental habit that takes hold, especially during times of stress or fatigue. It can show up when something feels unresolved, when plans don’t go as expected or when we’re left with unanswered questions.

“Certain unhelpful thought patterns can keep it going, like being overly hard on yourself, replaying something that went wrong or focusing on perceived failures — you get stuck on how things ‘should have’ been,” she says. “Over time, it becomes a pattern the mind returns to.”

Rumination may feel like it’s helping, but it doesn’t. It keeps your attention on what’s wrong and stuck in a loop.

Getting support

Many people experience rumination. Over time, it can contribute to depression and anxiety — two of the most common mental health challenges.

For some individuals, breaking the cycle takes support. At Sharp Grossmont’s Mood Disorders Intensive Outpatient Program, patients work together in a structured group to better understand their thought patterns and build skills to manage them in healthier ways.

According to Alford, many patients share that rumination is something they struggle with — and want to change. “Together, we learn to understand and gently shift unhelpful thinking patterns, while building practical skills to notice when rumination is happening and redirect it in the moment,” she says.

With awareness, there are practical ways to step out of the cycle.

The 5 R’s of rumination recovery

In the Mood Intensive Outpatient Program, patients learn practical ways of letting rumination go. Alford shares these strategies for everyday life.

Recognize

Try to notice when the pattern begins. Signs include spending long periods thinking without resolution, replaying situations, worsening mood and getting caught in unanswerable questions. Recognizing early warning signs can interrupt the cycle.

Remind

Gently remind yourself: This is rumination. Naming it creates distance and interrupts autopilot.

Set a clear intention, for example: “I move away from rumination and shift my attention to ___.” Remember, it isn’t about being perfect; it’s about recognizing that while the thoughts may feel important, they aren’t helping you move forward.

Redirect

Redirect into a new response rather than staying in the loop by shifting toward concrete thinking. Ask yourself:

What would be meaningful for me right now?
What small step can I take that moves me forward?

Other things you can do:

Take a walk, notice your surroundings.
Play a sport, work out or move your body.
Build, fix or create something with your hands.
Engage in creative expression, such as art, music or movement.
Connect with others in a meaningful way.

Choose something that reflects what matters to you — not as a distraction, but as a way of building a life you want to be present for. Even small steps can interrupt rumination.

Reward

Acknowledge your effort and notice small shifts in mood or relief. Consider what opportunities became available when you stepped away from rumination — notice what you were able to do or experience instead. In doing so, you weaken the habit and strengthen a new pattern.

Repeat

Change happens through repetition. You may not catch it every time, and that is expected. But because rumination is a mental habit, like any habit, it can change through practice and repetition. The goal is to notice it sooner, interrupt it and return to the present more easily.

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The Health News Team

Author

The Sharp Health News Team are content authors who write and produce stories about Sharp HealthCare and its hospitals, clinics, medical groups and health plan.