Have you ever gotten stuck thinking about something over and over again? Overthinking can cause a lot of stress. Ruminating certain thoughts over and over again can be tiring and bring mental fatigue. Here are some tips on how to beat the overthinking and rumination cycle to bring you a bit more peace of mind.

Try Positive Reframing: Positive reframing involves accepting the negative thought and negative situation and searching for a positive way of looking at it. There are different methods of achieving this; here is one example: “I have a lot of paperwork I need to go through, which overwhelms me and won’t stop spinning the wheels in my mind because there is so much to do. But I know that I can tackle one small pile at a time in order for it to feel less overwhelming and more manageable.” Positive reframing is not the same thing as “toxic positivity”, which means thinking positively no matter how bad or difficult a situation is and not acknowledging concurrent negative feelings.

Practice “specific gratitude”: When people practice gratitude, they sometimes list something vague like “I am grateful for my happiness”, but it can work better to list more specific things. One example could be: “I am grateful that my partner made me a cup of my favourite tea when I was stressed this morning.” By making your gratitude moment more specific, it can help you better connect to the present moment and focus on something more positive than ruminating thoughts.

Find something else to do: Sometimes we just need to have a change of scenery in order to calm our thoughts. Taking a break from what is stressing us can be beneficial. Going out for a walk, watching an episode of a TV show, or any activity that brings you pleasure can help step away from a stressful moment (physically and emotionally). Stepping away may also help with reworking your thoughts and reconsider what it is that is causing you to overthink and/or ruminate.

Try deep breathing or meditation: There are many benefits that come with deep breathing or meditation exercises. They can regulate heart rate and breathing and relax the body. It is recommended to do these activities in a quiet place where you can more easily focus on your breathing and mindfulness.

Did you know that AMI-Quebec offers a Meditation workshop for family carers? Visit amiquebec.org/meditation.

Reach out to someone you trust: Talking to a person that you feel comfortable with can help alleviate certain stressors that you are experiencing. Feeling understood and heard can feel calming and reassuring when the person you are speaking to is understanding. The simple act of expressing what is troubling us out loud can release it from its mental cage.

–Gabrielle Lesage
From Share&Care Spring 2025

Visit amiquebec.org/sources for references