We ruminate when we feel low because we believe that it will reveal a way to solve our problems. But research shows that rumination does exactly the opposite: our ability to solve problems actually deteriorates markedly during rumination. All the evidence seems to point to the stark truth that rumination is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
When has this ever worked for me? I can't think of a single incident past what I thought 20 minutes later. Remembering terrible incidents years later hasn't offered any new solutions or done anything other than just made for feeling badly. Ruminating is a serious waste of time and just makes you feel like shit.
