“We think rumination will untangle the knot, but it only tightens it.”

Returning to the same thoughts again and again, especially when something feels unresolved or difficult?

This kind of thinking process is labeled as rumination in psychology studies.

It can feel like a form of problem solving. Many people experience it as an attempt to understand, analyze, or explain what has happened. But research paints a more nuanced picture of what actually occurs when we do this with our thoughts.

When Thinking Prolongs a Low Mood 

A classic experiment by Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow (1991) examined what happens when people with a low mood are asked either to:

• Focus on their feelings and the causes of them
• Or think about neutral or distracting topics.

The results were clear: Participants who were instructed to analyze their feelings remained more depressed than those who shifted their attention to something neutral.

Similar results have been found in more recent therapy research (read my other post about metacognitive therapy for depression).

This also happens when we do similar experiments in therapy, i.e. when we actively increase or decrease rumination in a session.

This suggests that an analytical thinking style can prolong negative mood, rather than resolve it.

Rumination Can Make Problems Less Clear

Another study by Lyubomirsky, Kasri, and Nolen-Hoeksema (2003) examined how rumination impacts problem-solving abilities. Participants were either induced into a state of rumination or distraction before being asked to tackle realistic interpersonal problems.

The results were clear: those in the rumination condition:

• Generated fewer concrete solutions,
• Described problems in vague, abstract terms, and
• Expressed less confidence in resolving the issues.

Yet, here’s the twist: many still felt their rumination was productive, as if they were analyzing the problem deeply. In reality, it rarely translated into effective action.

Not All Self-Reflection is The Same

Later research by Watkins (2008) showed that the type of self-focus matters.

When people engage in abstract “why-thinking”, the risk of mental looping increases.

When attention shifts toward concrete and experiential focus, negative mood often decreases more quickly.

This suggests that the issue may not be reflection itself, but instead the goal of reflection.

Research points to the fact that rumination may begin as an attempt to solve a problem. But, without new information or action, the process can become circular.

What Does This Mean in Practice?

Taken together, the research suggests three points:

1. Analyzing one’s mood can prolong it
2. Abstract self-focus can make problems feel more diffuse and emotionally intense
3. Concrete thinking or action often breaks the loop effectively.

This does not mean reflection should be avoided. But it may help to notice the difference between two mental directions:

• Circling around why something happened – “why did I drop the bowl?” to
• Exploring what the next step might be – “how do I clean up the mess?”

In therapy, it can be super helpful to the break the mental loop that rumination causes.

References

• Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Morrow, J. (1991). A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster: The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61(1), 115–121. link 
• Lyubomirsky, S., Kasri, F., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Dysphoric rumination impairs concentration on academic tasks. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(3), 309–330. link
• Watkins, E. R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163–206. link