Best Counselling In Kannur: How to stop dwelling on something

Monday, October 13, 2025

How to stop dwelling on something

HELLO, FRIEND

Heads up: Today's Bezzy Depression community live chat about OCD has been rescheduled to tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. See you there!

How do you stop yourself from dwelling on something for too long?

"My therapist and I recently started the box technique. You build a box in your head made of anything you want and place it anywhere you want, but it must have a locking mechanism. Then, imagine your thoughts as items that you put into the box and lock up to return to when you're ready." — Ren Dias, editor

"I tend to ruminate. It's part of my ADHD and challenges with emotional regulation. Over the years, I've adopted a method that helps me. When I go to bed, I remind myself (sometimes aloud) that I don't have to let it follow me into the next morning. When I wake up, I tell myself, 'It's a new day. You can hit restart.' It's not as easy as I'm describing, but it tends to ground me.

"As a younger person, I struggled so much with depression and often let it consume me day in, day out. Self-soothing distraction methods like time away from screens, getting out in nature, or watching a comfort show can be helpful, too. I've learned how to manage myself with age, if that makes sense." — Samantha Costa, Bezzy editor

"I get stuck in my head and obsessively overthink situations. I can journal all I want, but actually venting and talking about it with my therapist or a friend who will let me let it out helps so much. Otherwise, it almost feels trapped inside my brain until I do." — Morgan Mandriota, newsletter editor

"It may not fix the root cause, but I try to distract myself by going on a walk, playing a video game, or reading a book. I'm more likely to ruminate if I'm under-stimulated. If I'm no longer focusing on the thought after doing something else, it's probably not worth any additional mental energy."
— Sarah Choi, engagement editor

"I have a 7-day rule: If I feel wronged by someone, or their actions or words rubbed me the wrong way, I have 7 days to have a conversation with them. If that deadline expires, it's unfair for me to resurface it at a later date, especially if a lot of time has passed. By confronting the issue quickly, I'm less likely to hold it against them. Though I do tend to remember all the moments someone slighted me…"
— Kenny Thapoung, managing newsletter editor

"I used to beat myself up a lot when I was in school, especially after messing up on exams. I often tell myself that, to future me, whatever I did won't matter. I probably won't even remember it. (And it's true, I don't remember the instances I messed up on exams).

"Whenever I catch myself ruminating about my mistakes, I repeat that to myself like a mantra. Mulling over what I would've done differently doesn't change the outcome and just makes me feel worse about myself. Accepting my actions, on the other hand, makes me feel a whole lot better." — Sarah Matysiak, engagement editor

If you'd like to request a specific topic, offer feedback, or chime in with your answers to our weekly questions, feel free to email us at newsletters@healthline.com. We look forward to connecting with you and supporting you on the path to mental well-being.