How Rehashing Our Problems Keeps Us Stuck!

As you move through life, day after day, do you feel stuck in the same never-ending thoughts and patterns that leave you paralyzed and unable to move forward?

You’re not alone!

This feeling often comes from mind looping through the same stories, again and again.

Sometimes we stay stuck because we keep rehashing stories about our challenges.

When we rehash the same struggles over and over again, our minds keep us locked in the problem instead of moving toward a solution.

Talking things through may help initially, but repeating the story over and over keeps us attached to the issue at hand, and instead of feeling relief, we stay trapped in the same emotional state.

Growth begins when we shift from repeating the pain to creating new thoughts and actions.

To be clear, the most healing thing we can do is to avoid getting stuck in repeated conversations about our issues, unless we’re speaking with a professional who can help move us forward.

Of course, it’s natural to want to receive validation and support by explaining our frustrations to caring friends and family, where there can be co-rumination.

Co-rumination is extensively discussing and revisiting problems, speculating about problems, and focusing on negative feelings.

Psche.co mentions that “when you’re facing big decisions or stress, it’s natural to get support from people close to you and problem-solve with them. But co-rumination is more than just having a conversation about a vexing problem and seeking solutions. For many people it becomes an excessive and counterproductive pattern“.

Whether it’s a past health issue, tough circumstance, or something another person did or said, the urge to talk about it again and again, can feel like healthy release.

Emotionally Charged Stories Keep the Stress Alive!

What you may not realize is that continuously repeating our emotionally charged stories can keep the stress alive in the body and keep us stuck.

The nervous system doesn’t know the difference between something that’s happening right now or something from the past that we keep revisiting with emotion.

When we talk about the same issues over and over, the body responds as if it’s happening again.

Joe Dispenza reminds us that “Thoughts are the language of the brain and feelings are the language of the body and how you think and how you feel create your state of being. The body is so objective that it doesn’t know the difference between the real life experience that’s creating that emotion and the emotion a person is fabricating by thought alone“.

Our blood pressure rises, our heart pounds, and anxiety grows, so instead of calming down, our emotions stay activated.

In her book “Beyond Anxiety”, Martha Beck explains that anxiety shows up when we feel powerless or out of control.

She suggests that one of the most effective ways to interrupt that pattern is through creative activities.

This can be through writing, dancing, singing, or painting, coloring because they engage different pathways in the brain.

Doing these types of activities pull us out of repetitive thought loops, regulating the nervous system and telling our bodies that we’re safe.

Anxiety and Stress are Linked to Inflammation!

Chronic anxiety and stress are directly linked to inflammation and calming the nervous system is essential for long-term health.

So, what happens when we stop telling the same stressful stories, and start creating instead?

The nervous system gets a break and we feel like ourselves again.

We don’t have to pretend nothing’s wrong, and don’t have to make pain the center of our conversations.

Sometimes, it’s helpful to say “I’m healing” when someone asks how we’re doing.

It’s as simple as that!

What creative practice can you try to calm your nervous system and invite more peace into your life?

TOPIC: How Rehashing Our Problems Keeps Us Stuck!