symptoms
of depression
how depression works
overcoming depression
thinking styles
Stop
Rumination, now!
Thinking optimistically can be positively worrying!
Rumination is the excessive dwelling on negative thoughts, which fuels depression, as explained in how it works – the cycle of depression.
An important step to depriving depression of its fuel is to stop rumination:
Step 1: Set aside a regular time each day for ruminating – about 15-20 minutes, and no more. Best times to do this are after a meal, just after waking up in the morning, or after a period of exercise.
Step 2: Pick a place to ruminate, somewhere that you don’t associate with relaxation (not your bed, or favourite chair!); some people stand on the doorstep, or sit at a table, with a formal chair. This will be the only place you should ruminate.
Step 3: On a piece of paper write down the negative thoughts, all the things that you are dwelling on.
Step 4: Ensure you stop when time’s up.
Step 5: If any negative
thoughts come up during the day, then write them down on a piece of paper,
and stop thinking about them until your allotted time.
