Repetitively going over the same thoughts, usually negative, without reaching a resolution or new insight.
Rumination is the mental equivalent of a broken record. You replay the same thoughts—usually about something that went wrong or might go wrong—over and over without reaching any new conclusion or resolution.
Unlike productive reflection, which leads to insight or action, rumination is circular. You ask 'why did this happen?' or 'what's wrong with me?' repeatedly, but the answers just generate more questions. It feels like thinking, but it's actually just suffering with extra steps.
Rumination is a major risk factor for both depression and anxiety. It prolongs negative moods, interferes with problem-solving, and erodes motivation. Research shows that people who ruminate more experience longer and more severe depressive episodes.
ILTY helps interrupt rumination patterns. When it detects you're going in circles, it gently redirects—sometimes by asking what you'd tell a friend in this situation, sometimes by shifting from 'why' questions to 'what now' questions that move you forward.
You said something awkward at a party three days ago. You've replayed it 50 times, each time cringing harder. You've analyzed what you should have said, why you said what you said, and what everyone must think of you. This is rumination—no new insight, just repeated suffering.
Systematic errors in thinking that distort reality—like catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, or mind-reading.
When one anxious thought leads to another in an escalating chain, each thought more catastrophic than the last.
Paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, without judgment—a practice that reduces anxiety and improves emotional regulation.
Understanding concepts is valuable. Applying them to your own life is where the change happens. ILTY helps you do both.