Rumination Quiz

Rumination — also known as brooding, stewing, obsessing, worrying, overthinking, or dwelling on things — is an unhealthy style of thinking. It’s negative, repetitive, and prolonged, and has many undesirable consequences. It makes bad moods worse, interferes with motivation and problem-solving, and increases the risk of depression, overeating, alcohol abuse, and relationship problems. Take this quiz to find out if rumination is a problem for you.

For each statement below, select the answer that best fits you.

  1. When I’m sad or blue, I keep thinking about how bad I feel.

  2. When something angers or upsets me, it replays in my mind for a long time.

  3. I worry about bad things that might happen in the future.

  4. I dwell on my problems for long periods of time.

  5. In my mind, I go over and over my embarrassing or awkward moments again and again.