I am Monica.
And this is a short microlearning session where we take one powerful concept and make it simple,
Practical,
And something you can actually use in your real life.
Today I want to talk about rumination.
You know that feeling when your mind just keeps looping.
Replaying conversations,
Overanalyzing what you said,
Or trying to figure out what you should have done differently.
And no matter how many times you think about it.
Don't feel any better.
If that happens to you,
I want you to know.
This isn't a lack of willpower.
This is your nervous system trying to protect you.
Rumination is your brain's attempt to solve something that feels unresolved.
It's asking.
What went wrong?
How do I prevent this from happening again?
But here's the problem.
When your nervous system is activated.
Your brain isn't in problem-solving mode.
It's in survival mode.
So instead of finding answers,
Loops.
This is why you might say,
I know I need to let it go,
But.
.
.
You can't.
Because this isn't just happening in your thoughts.
It's happening in your body.
So instead of trying to think your way out of rumination.
We want to gently shift your nervous system.
I'm going to show you something simple that can help interrupt that loop.
It's called a figure eight movement.
You can do this with your fingers.
Your hand,
Or even just your eyes.
Go ahead and extend your finger in front of you.
And slowly begin to trace.
A sideways figure eight.
A vertical,
Figure eight.
As you do this,
Follow the movement.
And it doesn't have to even be a figure eight.
It could be a squiggly line.
The point.
Is at your eyes.
Moves from left to right.
You don't need to force anything.
Just trace.
And follow.
Now you might be wondering.
.
.
How does something this simple actually help?
Here's what's happening.
When you're ruminating,
Your brain is locked into a repetitive linear loop.
It's like it's stuck on one track.
But when you introduce a gentle,
Rhythmic,
Side-to-side movement like this.
.
.
You're activating both hemispheres of your brain.
You're also giving your attention something structured and sensory to follow.
And this does a few important things.
First,
It interrupts the mental loop.
Not by force,
But by redirecting attention.
Second,
It engages your body and your senses.
Which helps bring you out of your head and back into the present.
And third,
That side-to-side movement has a regulating effect on your nervous system.
It's similar to what we see in approaches like EMDR,
Where bilateral stimulation helps to bring process and integrate experiences.
So instead of staying stuck in the loop,
Your system begins to shift.
Let's stay with this for just a few more seconds.
Tracing the figure 8.
Following it.
Through ice.
Let your breath stay natural.
Gently pause.
Just notice what feels different.
Maybe the thoughts are still there.
But are they a little quieter?
A little less intense.
That's the goal.
Not to eliminate thoughts completely.
But to create enough space that you're no longer stuck inside them.
From here,
You have more choice.
More clarity.
More access to your thinking brain.
So the next time you find yourself looping,
Instead of trying to force your thoughts to stop.
And give your nervous system something else to follow.
A simple monthly.
A gentle pattern.
A moment of regulation.
Because rumination isn't something you have to fight.
It's something you can learn to shift.
Thank you for being here with me today.
If this resonated with you,
You can follow me here on Insight Timer for more tools to help you regulate your nervous system and feel more grounded in your daily life.
Namaste.
