Worry, rumination or problem-solving?

• Problem-solving

  Concrete, about something you can act on, and it ends in a step. "What can I do, and when?"

• Worry

  Runs ahead into the future. "What if it goes wrong? What if they're angry?" Each answer raises another what if.

• Rumination

  Turns back to the past, or to your mood. "Why did I say that? Why am I like this?" It digs without finding a bottom.

Thomas Borkovec, who began studying worry in the 1980s, found it is mostly a chain of words, an attempt to solve problems whose outcome is uncertain. Because the uncertainty never fully goes, the chain doesn't end.

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema showed that rumination, dwelling on why you feel bad, tends to deepen low mood and make problems harder to solve, not easier. Edward Watkins found a key difference between helpful and unhelpful repetitive thinking: concrete "how" questions ("How could I handle this next time?") help, while abstract "why" questions ("Why does this always happen to me?") keep you stuck.

When you notice you're going round in circles, ask:

• Is there something I can do about this now? If so, decide on one step, and when.
• If not, it isn't a problem to solve right now. Notice that you're worrying or ruminating, name it, and let your attention come back to what you're doing. Zoom out and Name the story can help.

Sort each thought.

• I'll email my landlord tonight about the boiler, and call if I hear nothing by Friday.Problem-solvingWorry or rumination
• What if the boiler breaks completely and I can't afford it and have to move?Problem-solvingWorry or rumination
• Why do I always mess things up? What's wrong with me?Problem-solvingWorry or rumination
• Next time I'm nervous before a talk, I'll practise the first minute out loud.Problem-solvingWorry or rumination

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