Rumination

Are you a ruminator? I know I definitely can be. It used to be a habit of mine actually. I have spent so many of my morning walks ruminating. It didn’t get me anywhere other than exhausted, tired of myself, and totally disconnected from who I wanted to be.

Did you know one meaning for the word "ruminate" is chewing cud?

This is hilarious to me. Cud is partly digested food that’s returning from the cow’s first stomach for more and more chewing. Cud reminds me of a vurp - um, you know, a burp that brings up some vomit with it? (Although the thought of chewing a vurp makes me cringe.)

The truth about ruminating is that we do it because we think we’ll have an a-ha moment from rehashing a situation over and over. It’s a way of trying to have control over something we’re feeling powerless about.

Here’s the deal though- rumination is emotionally draining. It often leads to a downward spiral into a depressed mood. It lowers your vibration, causes anxiety and leaves you feeling an overall sense of negativity. It wreaks havoc on your creativity too.

According to the National Science Foundation, the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 95% are exactly the same thoughts as the day before. To make matters worse, of all our thoughts, 80% are negative.

I can gladly say that I no longer get stuck in rumination, at least not for too long! In the beginning of this shift I remember being so excited by how much extra mental space I discovered! My norm now is creativity, gratitude, manifesting, and other positive vibe thought processes.

Here are some tips to make rumination a thing of the past.

Commit to leaving rumination behind. Seriously, this is the first step. When you become aware that you are ruminating, remind yourself that you are committed to shifting into positivity.

Bringing the image to mind of a cow chewing it’s cud. It might make you giggle and giggling brings joy and joy connects you back to your Authentic Self.

Shift your focus to noticing your surroundings. Connecting to your five senses can really help to quickly ground yourself in the present moment. This can be an elaborate process or super simple.

Elaborate

What are 5 things you can see? Look around you and notice 5 things you hadn’t noticed before. Maybe a pattern on a wall, light reflecting from a surface, or a knick-knack in the corner of a room.

What are 4 things you can feel? Maybe you can feel the pressure of your feet on the floor, your shirt resting on your shoulders or the temperature on your skin. Pick up an object and notice its texture.

What are 3 things you can hear? Notice all the background sounds you had been filtering out, such as an air-conditioning, birds chirping, or cars on a distant street.

What are 2 things you can smell? Maybe you can smell flowers, coffee, or freshly cut grass. It doesn’t have to be a nice smell either: maybe there’s an overflowing trash can or sewer.

What is 1 thing you can taste? Pop a piece of gum in your mouth, sip a drink, eat a snack if you have one, or simply notice how your mouth tastes. “Taste” the air to see how it feels on your tongue.

Simple

Go through your 5 senses and connect with each of them.

Remind yourself that what you are ruminating about has most likely already been chewed on by you. Remember 95% of what you are thinking today, you’ve thought already. This fact is absolutely a catalyst for me to shift out of rumination! I don’t want to deplete my energy with repetitive negative thoughts. Been there, done that, and I choose to move forward and with positive vibes!

Leave the noise of rumination behind.

Live With Intention.

Be the best version of yourself.

The world needs you!

Cheers!

Sue B