Rumination and the Work of James W. Pennebaker

What is Rumination?


When we do not talk to others about our problems we can almost wear a groove into our brain processes so that we automatically go over the same ground again and again. This is called ruminating.

ru•mi•nate
ˈru məˌneɪt Show Spelled  [roo-muh-neyt] Show IPA verb,-nat•ed, -nat•ing.

verb (used without object)
1. to chew the cud, as a ruminant.
2. to meditate or muse; ponder.
–verb (used with object)
3. to chew again or over and over.
4. to meditate on; ponder. (dictionary.com)
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When we start to chew on a problem or issue or event and replay it and its outcome or possible alternatives over and over we use up our sources of inspiration and our resources for resolution. We even use up neurtransmitters. Work by James W. Pennebaker, a well respected Psychologist and author demonstrates that we can break the exhausting cycle of rumination by taking a new approach to our problems. He is the guy who put a lot of credibility into the idea of journaling. Journaling is recommended by many helping professionals because it sends the information, like the building blocks of a solution, down a different path in our brain inviting new ways of thinking about the issues which can then lead to better possibilities and perhaps solutions.

Pennebaker demonstrated that journaling a secret than you have been unable to tell others about or telling the secret or problem to an anonymous other can result in improved immune function. To clarify, his work demonstrated improvements in health when a long standing problem was expressed in a new way. That work is one of the reasons that I started this blog.