I have been reading articles about rumination and was wanting to hear whether it is possible to have positive effects from rumination. I definitely like to mull over the negative until it is all I can see, but socially I have been very successful thanks to this. Thoughts?

2 minutes ago, Novalocity said:

whether it is possible to have positive effects from rumination.

Well, it works for cows!

But, in general, surely thinking about things is good?

5 minutes ago, Strange said:

surely thinking about things is good?

 

True but rumination is normally classified as overthinking which can have negative outcomes both internally and externally. Rumination is usually accompanied by abstract autobiography memory. Thus, the negative effect caused by concrete thinking influences problem processing and solving and may eventually cause psychological discomfort

Edited September 24, 20187 yr by Novalocity

17 minutes ago, Novalocity said:

True but rumination is normally classified as overthinking

Oh, OK. I have never come across that definition. 

More here for others unfamiliar with this: http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov05/cycle.aspx

It's a spectrum, like so much in our lives. Ideally, one learns as much as one can, constantly updating knowledge, putting information together in new ways as new knowledge becomes available. 

Ruminate on how to fulfill your obligations while keeping you and those in your sphere of influence safe and healthy. Make plans for the contingencies that are likely, and lightly monitor those plans regularly. Decide how your ethics will allow you to proceed when presented with certain situations. Prepare yourself to live your life.

And then, at some point, you have to trust that you're armed with all you need to handle whatever comes along. You have the tools that aid you best, and you're an informed, decision-making, cooperative, communicative, highly intelligent human of good intent. This will help you see solutions instead of problems.

I'm not sure I like defining rumination as "over-thinking". To me, that pegs the meter automatically as a bad thing. Doing anything "over" means it's too much. I think rumination needs to be contextual as well. Do I need to spend 4 hours agonizing about what to make for dinner? If it's a special dinner that could have great benefit to me, then sure! Thinking in detail about something is a lot like obsessive-compulsive disorder. There are times when much of the spectrum can be positive and helpful. 

One can ruminate about how to become more peaceful and centered.

One can ruminate about how to end world hunger, address climate change at scale, and how to end all wars.

Or, one can ruminate about a missed opportunity or a mistake in a relationship or about not trying hard enough about school.

As others have already noted, it's not rumination that is either good or bad, but instead to the subject of said rumination.