The conversation ended hours ago, but your mind is still participating. You rewrite what you should have said, imagine what the other person might say next, prepare better arguments, and revisit the same few moments as though one more round of thinking will finally settle them.
Bio-Emotive Framework offers a provocative question for this kind of repetitive mind chatter: What feeling is still activated underneath the thoughts? Its model proposes that emotions can generate thoughts, and Dr. Douglas Tataryn has connected persistent mental chatter with feelings that remain emotionally active and unresolved.
Some Thinking Has A Job To Do
Repetitive thinking is not automatically a sign that an emotional process is unfinished. You may genuinely need to solve a problem, plan a response, remember information, compare options, or think through a difficult decision.
