Ruminating at Night: How To Break Free From the Past
3 tips to keep your thoughts from running on repeat.
Hi there!
The darkest hours of the night are when I’m most likely to slip into the past.
A mind unwilling to sleep takes me on a journey of all the days that came before. This is no friend guiding me but a tormenting monster intent on demonstrating every awful thing I’ve ever done.
Ruminating, thinking deeply about a matter often in a repeating loop, is part of having bipolar disorder. Rumination can be beneficial, especially when trying to find a solution to a problem. It’s often revealed the missing piece to my Sudoku puzzle. However, constantly thinking about negative things will only make you feel worse.
Ruminating is a lot like chewing gum. Chewing gum gives your mouth a way to keep busy, but is accomplishes little else. You gain no nourishment from gum, nor does it fix anything.
When your mind slips into a groove of repetitive thoughts, it’s the same thing. Your brain is busy, but there’s nothing good to be gained from it.
As the highlight clips of your life play repeatedly in your head, you may feel powerless to stop them. It feels like being tied to a chair with your eyes taped open. The movie starts and all you can do is watch.
When these worst times come calling, what can you do? Here are three things that help me.
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
- C. S. Lewis
Scott Ninneman publishes two newsletters each week. The Sunday All Things Bipolar Newsletter features the newest content about bipolar life. The Speaking Bipolar Positivity Club Newsletter shares inspirational stories three times a week to help you maintain a positive mindset.
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