In this series we publish blog posts written by our first year undergraduate students for the PB101 Foundations of Psychological Science course. Here, Jenny Zeng discusses the problems with self-reflection and provides some tips on how to break free from rumination. 

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Imagine this: Life hits hard — maybe you’ve lost your job, failed an exam, or ended a long-term relationship. Suddenly, you are bombarded with negative energy, making you feel miserable and helpless. In tough times, humans naturally think inward, reflecting on the “what-ifs” and analysing where we might have gone wrong.

In this blog, you will learn about:

1. Why is self-reflection dangerous
2. What is rumination and its impacts
3. Evolution of reflective behaviours
4. How to break free from rumination

Isn’t it good if humans self-reflect?

Self-reflection is an introspective process that shifts our attention to current awareness, allowing us to grow an understanding of who we are, how we feel, and what values fuel us. It’s a critical process to personal growth, offering a third-person perspective to help us figure out how we can better pursue our goals. Even though self-reflection boosts self-understanding, the self-absorption paradox tells us that, actually, thinking too much or being too self-aware can contribute to heightened distress (Joireman & Hammersla, 2002). In the “Track Your Happiness Project” by Harvard psychologists Killingsworth and Gilbert, findings revealed that people spend about 47% of waking time wondering, thinking about what isn’t going on around them, concluding that “a wandering mind is an unhappy mind” (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010).

Self-reflection is dangerous when it becomes rumination…

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When people think too much, they are prone to be trapped in a negative thinking cycle. This is what we call “rumination” in psychology, a phenomenon when our minds repetitively dwell into the causes, meanings, and consequences of negative events without actively seeking resolutions (Michl et al., 2013).

You might think ruminators are great problem-solvers because they spend more time understanding the problem. Unfortunately, reality says otherwise. Ward et al. (2003) found that ruminators can be easily overwhelmed with emotions which impairs problem-solving skills and prolongs hesitation before making changes. Lyubomirsky & Nolen-Hoeksema (1993) also revealed that ruminators are less willing to engage in pleasant activities. Even when they know enjoyable activities can uplift their moods, overthinking makes them less motivated to participate as they think it will interfere with their understanding of the problem. When you are feeling trapped in negative emotions and unwilling to do something that makes you happier, rumination makes you more vulnerable to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression that increases self-harm and suicidal attempts (Rogers & Joiner, 2017). Rumination is DANGEROUS.

Evolution of Reflective Behaviours

Photo by Eugene Zhyvchik from Unsplash.

Now, we’ve understood what rumination is and the impacts. We now need to understand why we ruminate. Let’s take a step back to look at how reflective behaviours emerge from the past to now through gene-culture co-evolution. Imagine living in a competitive world where getting food and staying safe is the ultimate quest. Being able to reflect on our actions and learn from previous mistakes will help us survive better (Lage et al., 2022). If we are aware of who we are, what we want, and who our predators are, reflective behaviours provide great adaptive  advantages allowing us to make more informed decisions in the wild. As reflective insights are often shared through storytelling, this also enhances social cohesion by bringing the community together. Picture experts with great survival stories are sharing their experiences and reflections on how they adapted to extreme environmental shifts like droughts. This survival wisdom being passed down across generations not only promotes cultural transmission through social learning (for example learning from parents, peers, and role models) but also establishes a ritual of educational reflection, shaping our genetic inclination to reflect that enhances survival (Russel & Muthukrishna, 2018).

However, reflecting to better survive is not the case in the 21st century. Nowadays, why we reflect and overthink is strongly tied to individual competitions. Curran & Hill (2019), researching on American, Canadian and British college students found that multidimensional perfectionism is significantly rising over time in the modern context as we expect more from ourselves and others due to changing societal expectations. This trend of perfectionism, fuelled by friends, social media, and societal expectations, has sadly turned many reflectors into ruminators. The idea of perfectionism widens the self-discrepancy gap, the difference between our ideal and current self, which significantly exacerbates the likelihood for ruminators to stress over their insecurities (Michl et al., 2013).

So, how can you break free from rumination?

Where your attention goes, your energy flows.

Photo by William Farlow from Unsplash. 

When the mental thoughts get loud, it’s time to switch gears. In “Happiness by Design”, behavioural psychologist Paul Dolan shares the secret to happiness — selective attention. Dolan suggests that the positive effects of happiness can’t be exerted unless we actively pay attention to it (Dolan, 2014). The more we pay attention to something, the more we allow it to have an impact on us. Thus, by nudging our limited attention to positive things that make us feel pleasurable and purposeful, we can be happier and break free from rumination.

So, here’s the deal: nudge your attention towards the good stuff. Go for a walk, talk to a friend, or engage in a hobby you genuinely enjoy. These are all effective distractions to shift your attention away from the negatives. Brand et al. (2018) demonstrated that even short bouts of exercise can positively impact mood, rumination, and physiological tiredness by releasing “feel-good” hormones (serotonin and dopamine) and reducing “stress” hormones (cortisol and adrenaline).

But be CAUTIOUS — remember to not get lost in the distraction city. Multiple research proposed contradictory evidence on distraction stating that trying too hard to distract yourself from negativity with too many activities at once can actually increase rumination (Nolen-Hoeksema & Lyubomirsky, 2008). So, choose your distraction activities wisely and make sure you pour full attention to it!

Photo by Martin Vysoudil from Unsplash. 

Self-awareness is wasted if it does not result in self-acceptance

Ultimately, the essential key to escape ruminative thinking is to truly embrace yourself, accept your flaws, and recognise what is in your control. Behavioural psychologist Thomas Curran emphasized in his book “The Perfection Trap” that failure is not weakness and that life is imperfect (Curran, 2023). By wholeheartedly accepting our imperfections and changing our mindsets to see opportunities for growth in negative experiences, we are not only reducing rumination but transforming our lives through an intellectual evolution.

Remember, you are enough and you get to write your own stories.

• This post was originally written as part of PB101: Foundations of Psychological Science, which is a core course on the BSc Psychological and Behavioural Science. It has been published with the permission of the author.
• The opinions in this post are of the author, not of the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science or LSE.
• Cover image created by the author.

References

• Abela, J. R. Z., & Hankin, B. L. (2011). Rumination as a vulnerability factor to depression during the transition from early to middle adolescence: A multiwave longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(2), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022796
• Bradt, S. (2010, November 11). The Harvard Gazette. Wandering Mind Not a Happy Mind. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/wandering-mind-not-a-happy-mind/
• Brand, S., Colledge, F., Ludyga, S., Emmenegger, R., Kalak, N., Sadeghi Bahmani, D., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., Pühse, U., & Gerber, M. (2018). Acute bouts of exercising improved mood, rumination and social interaction in inpatients with mental disorders. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 249. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00249
• Curran, T. (2023). The perfection trap: The power of good enough in a world that always wants more. Penguin Random House LLC.
• Curran, T., & Hill, A. P. (2019). Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016. Psychological Bulletin, 145(4), 410–429. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000138
• Davis, T. (n.d.). Berkeley Well-Being Institute. Self-Reflection: Definition and How to Do It. https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/what-is-self-reflection.html
• Dolan, P. (2014). Happiness by design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life. Penguin Random House LLC.
• Joireman, J. A., Iii, L. P., & Hammersla, J. (2002). Empathy and the self-absorption paradox: Support for the distinction between self-rumination and self-reflection. Self and Identity, 1(1), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/1529886023172328038
• Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science (New York, N.Y.), 330(6006), 932. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192439
• Lage, C. A., Wolmarans, D. W., & Mograbi, D. C. (2022). An evolutionary view of self-awareness. Behavioural Processes, 194, 104543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104543
• Lyubomirsky, S., Kasri, F., Chang, O., & Chung, I. (2006). Ruminative response styles and delay of seeking diagnosis for breast cancer symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25(3), 276–304. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2006.25.3.276
• Lyubomirsky, S., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1993). Self-perpetuating properties of dysphoric rumination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(2), 339–349. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.65.2.339
• Michl, L. C. , McLaughlin, K. A. , Shepherd, K. & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2013). Rumination as a Mechanism Linking Stressful Life Events to Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122 (2), 339-352. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031994
• Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The Role of Rumination in Depressive Disorders and Mixed Anxiety/Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109 (3), 504-511.
• Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science: A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 3(5), 400–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x
• Rogers, M. L., & Joiner, T. E. (2017). Rumination, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts: A meta-analytic review. Review of General Psychology, 21(2), 132–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000101
• Russel, C. J. S., & Muthukrishna, M. (2018). Dual Inheritance Theory. In Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 1–7). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1381-1
• Smith, K. E., Mason, T. B., & Lavender, J. M. (2018). Rumination and eating disorder psychopathology: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 61, 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.004
• Ward, A., Lyubomirsky, S., Sousa, L., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Can’t quite commit: Rumination and uncertainty. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(1), 96–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202238375