What Causes Depression: Rumination
Depression often feels like being stuck - heavy, hopeless, and hard to explain. While many factors can contribute, there’s one common mental habit that keeps people locked in the cycle: rumination. It’s the constant replaying of worries, regrets, and imagined scenarios, and it’s one of the most overlooked drivers of persistent low mood and depression.
In this blog, we’ll explore what rumination is, why we do it, how it maintains depression and how you can begin to break the cycle.
What Is Rumination?
Rumination is a pattern of overthinking where your mind loops the same thoughts again and again. These thoughts are usually negative - mistakes you've made, things that went wrong, or fears about what could go wrong in the future. You might think you’re “problem-solving,” but really you’re just rehashing without resolution.
It’s like trying to dig your way out of a hole… by digging deeper.
Common ruminative thoughts sound like:
“What is wrong with me?”
“Why do I feel this way?”
“Why did I say that?”
“I should have done something different.”
This kind of thinking drains your energy, clouds your thinking, and over time becomes a mental habit that maintains depression.
Why Do We Ruminate?
Like any habit, rumination usually begins with a good intention. Your mind is trying to solve, prepare, or make sense of something. But without action, the loop never ends.
You might ruminate because:
You’re trying to avoid making a mistake again
You think if you think hard enough, you’ll feel better or figure something out
You believe worrying shows you care
You feel stuck and don’t know what else to do
The problem is that rumination is not resolution. It’s stress without movement. Thought without action.
The Trap of Rumination
The real trap of rumination is that it feels like you're doing something. But you're not. You're spinning your wheels. You’re activating the same emotional circuits again and again - stress, regret, guilt - without any release or progress.
This habit also interferes with sleep. You might lie awake imagining scenarios, wondering this and that, unable to switch off. It affects your ability to concentrate during the day. It floods your nervous system with stress chemicals, keeping your body on high alert while your mood sinks lower. The longer you ruminate, the more natural it feels to ruminate - it becomes your default setting. This is why it’s crucial to understand it, so you can notice when it’s happening and then break the cycle.
How to Break the Habit
Breaking free from rumination starts with two things: awareness and action.
1. Get Present
Mindfulness practices can help you notice when you’re caught in a thought spiral. Even one conscious breath - in and out - can create space. You don’t need to empty your mind, just take a slow breath and notice your mind instantly follows. With that second of space it’s easier to spot that you’re ruminating. My audio download on 6 x 6 Breathing can help with this.
2. Take Action
The antidote to rumination is action. We ruminate about things that are unresolved, so if there is something keeping you up at night, do something about it. Have you ever had an argument with someone and it stays in your mind for hours or even days after? You struggle to work, you lie awake thinking of all the things you should have said. Instead of exerting all this mental energy, you could just call the person and resolve the issue, once and for all. So, call the person who’s on your mind. Or pay the bills. Tidy your room. Schedule the appointment you’ve ben thinking about. Book the call. Give the apology. Set the boundary. Do what needs to be done to bring resolution. It doesn’t have to be big, it just needs to be something.
3. Hypnotherapy: Changing the Pattern at the Root
Hypnotherapy works with the part of your mind where habits live - the unconscious. It helps uncover the reason your mind ruminates, then gently updates the pattern with healthier strategies. Many clients say that after just a few sessions, they notice themselves thinking differently, feeling more peaceful, and spending less time caught in their head. It’s not about controlling your thoughts. It’s about understanding you don’t need to repeat them.
Hypnotherapy also creates a space for you to discover in which areas of your life you can take more action. It allows you to identify what you ruminate about, what keeps you up at night, and therefore what you can do to fix it.
The Benefits of Thinking Less
When you stop ruminating, things begin to shift:
Your mood lightens
Your energy returns
You become more present
You take more action
You sleep better
You feel clearer, more connected, and more in control
Once the rumination habit is broken, you can expect to simply feel lighter, more at peace.
From Overthinking to Action
Depression often pulls you inward, making it hard to act. But the path to healing is doing, not just thinking. You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin. You just need to take the first step. If you’re ready to break free from negative thought loops, stop ruminating, and finally feel more ease and clarity, let’s talk.
David Stewart
Evergreen Hypnotherapy
Helping you reclaim peace of mind — one small change at a time.
