When I spiral I reach for my "self-soothe bag/box". I really didn't know what to put in it first, but sensory things are essential: - Smell - a sunscreen that I wore when I was in my happiest place working with dolphins - Taste - childhood favourite sweets, Werther's Originals because they remind me of my grandfather - Touch - favourite stim, which for me are sponges - Watch - my absolute favourite comedy movie (if I have time), Some Like it Hot - Listen - Zelda Breath of the Wild soundtrack or some chill hop playlist - Read - a letter I wrote to myself about how I can achieve anything...

I feel like my anxiety makes it much harder to stop ruminating, to the point that I don't think I ever stop deliberately. It's great to see that other people have found solutions, though!

After starting meds, I've noticed my thought spirals are just so much less and a lot less severe. I love how quiet my brain is on meds. If only I had been on meds my whole life, I wonder where I would be now? Hm... let's not go down THAT thought spiral haha

I really like that this video is edited down a lot less. It feels more real and genuinely makes me feel validated to see someone acting like me and going on different tangents and stuff. It's refreshing to see unmasked ADHD

This might be more of a depression/insecure thing, but one of my more potent techniques is what I call "recalibrating" my perspective. When I'm fixated on something negative and can't get my mind off of it I take the time to list off potential positive as well as negatives. Making my perspective on experiences more balanced makes them more boring and harder to fixate on.

I love the "intermediate and advanced" content for ADHD that this channel does. The internet seems like it's stuck in an eternal September with a lot of mental health topics so there endless resources for those in the beginning stages of learning about their divergence. But once you're through that part helpful free resources (and even paid) dry up fast. I also like the idea of asking the community, because once you get to these intermediate/advanced topics, experiences and solutions vary a lot more person to person so monolithic advice and listicles don't work so well, plus they tend to be theorized in an ideal vacuum (ex: "but I have to work some times!"). It's better to get tactics from a bunch of real people.

One of the things that has been a life changer for me is to verbalize my thoughts. It's really hard to deal with one thing when you also have a million other thoughts going on in your head, but when you say things out loud it kinda isolates them and also makes it very clear, so dealing with problems becomes easy and often times I realize my problems aren't as bad as they sound in my head.

I’d love to see an episode on the grief that comes with a late/adult diagnosis, wondering what life might have been like if it was caught earlier. Love the show, thanks for all you and the team do ❤️

I struggled so much with this and my doctors kept treating me for anxiety because that's how it presented. Finally one day I put my foot down and asked to be put on ADHD meds and the difference has been incredible. I still have anxiety but the majority of my racing anxious thoughts were just because I couldn't slow my brain down enough to deal with them. So it may seem obvious but medication makes addressing my rumination a million times easier!!!

I'm a big fan of just physically moving myself to break out of a thought spiral. When I was in college and felt like I was just spinning out, I used go outside to take a lap around the building. At work, I'd sometimes just go to the end of the hall & back. Even just that much movement usually helps me!

When we ruminate on certain past behaviours or events that bring that feeling of shame or guilt, it is part of our brain reminding us that what we did goes against our values or expectations of others. A reminder of how we are a good person with integrity!

I started watching your channel because I have a granddaughter who has ADHD and now lives with me. I wanted to understand her better and be a better advocate for her. What I didn’t expect is to learn so much about myself and how to handle it. I too suffer from spiraling circling thoughts, mostly at night. Getting up to watch a movie or boil an egg or go for a jog is not an option at 2am when I have to be up at 5, but reaching for something that smells good or feels good or listening to a favorite song in order to break the cycle of destructive thoughts is totally doable. Thanks!

I appreciate that you are also showing a bit of the struggles, feelings of overwhelm and negative thoughts you were having in the moment and that someone came over to help you. I'm wondering if you could show more of this aspect of your ADHD life. I know for me seeing someone struggling the same way I do feels validating. I do often get confused with "simple" tasks I've done a million times before. All of a sudden I'm just completely drawing a blank and I don't understand anymore. I get so angry and ashamed of myself for being "stupid" and just randomly start crying because I'm so overwhelmed and panicking because I'm stuck on something that a "normal" person wouldn't be stuck on. I know I'm not alone but I've never seen anyone else do that same thing. Stop in their tracks by confusion/misunderstanding/forgetting, get hit by a dump truck full of overwhelm, self doubt/hate etc, freak out/cry/yell etc. I think I butchered how I explained this... Hope it makes sense

My friend gave me great advice on this that I somehow always forget to follow: "10 minutes of maintenance beats ten hours of ruminating" Basically the moment you catch yourself ruminating, find a moment to step aside and set a ten minute timer. You are not allowed to do ANYTHING for those ten minutes except ruminate on your rumination stuff. Something about having to "actively" ruminate rather than "passively" ruminate makes it... Weird? It feels like shifting gears. Sometimes I get really good insight into how to overcome blocks or even why I'm ruminating on certain things in the first place in those ten minutes alone. But when I actually have to do the ten minute thing, my brain is like "I don't have time for that!!" and I find ways to convince myself not to do it, so I end up forgetting how helpful it's been in the past haha. Thanks for putting this topic on the table! I actually had to stop and follow my own advice, so I guess another suggestion would be "how would you encourage someone to confront [problem]? Could you actively demonstrate it?" It makes it way easier to do for some reason??

after reading "the artist's way", i started using the "morning pages" whenever i caught myself in any thought spiral. they work as a real nice mental flush and have already helped me with rumination and even insomnia.

I actually had no idea that my rumination is a symptom of my ADHD, but it makes a ton of sense. Your videos are so healing- thank you so much for all your are doing.

i felt so validated when she tried the "dropping anchor" and admitted that, while it worked this time, it might not work next time. thanks, jess. that made me feel better and i don't even know why♥️

I didn't even realize there was a word for my recent explosion of talking to myself and daily, constant internal monologue, rambling, etc. The worst part is the talking to myself -- when I ruminate, I feel the urge to say what I'm thinking out loud, because I get the sense if I can put my thoughts into words, I can derive better/deeper understanding of whatever I'm working through. Only now do I see that what I've been doing this whole time is ruminating! And it's even better to know that there are strategies to control it, because while I do enjoy doing it now and then, it has been getting out of control and causing personal embarrassment when I'm talking to myself in public. 😬

Keep in mind a thought spiral isn't always negative, they can be positive too. This may be something specific to me as I experience bipolar but as that's a very common comorbidity of ADHD I suspect I'm not alone. I can feel like my brain gets stuck on loop and fast forward about a new project or something fun that happened. It's still extremely distracting or can interfere with sleep etc, although obviously less distressing, so some people may not recognise it for what it is. I'm definitely going to try that anchoring technique.

It's so validating and comforting to see you so raw and exposed in your authentic self... even as an "expert" when it comes to ADHD. When I have bad days, I always wonder what I'm doing wrong today, why I can't get out right? Even when I'm medicated. Thanks for normalizing this struggle, and showing us, and others, that is OK, and sometimes it just happens 🤗

Hi! Something important to remember when you're ruminating a bunch - ask yourself - are you hungry?? This is super important for me because rumination and loneliness is way worse if I'm hungry. Getting some yummy healthy food in my body, maybe a comforting soup or hot sandwich, really helps settle down intense anxiety that can cause rumination. 🙂

I've heard somewhere that our brains will spiral on problems it's afraid of forgetting. Basically, our subconscious is recognizing a problem and keeping it in active memory so it can be resolved. So the best way to put down thoughts is to confront them, like writing it down or setting a time frame for when you'll deal with something. It just needs to be some way of validating your brain's concerns so it can move on. It doesn't always help depending on the type of spiral, but it does often help me. Another trick I use is to imagine the thoughts as something physical, then mentally put them to the side. I then get myself to hyper focus on something different, like correcting a swerving car. If it's going to work I'll only need to force my thoughts for a few minutes, then it'll spiral on something else or leave me be. I've also noticed that I spiral more when I've got a big project to do. Usually the solution when this happens isn't to solve the spiral, it's because I haven't broken down my project into small enough actionable pieces and I'm feeling overwhelmed. A little more planning can really help here.

Not sure if this is the same kind of rumination, but usually when I keep coming back to something in my head it's because I feel like I'm not properly prepared for something (happening in the future), so I find it really helpful to just go through it in my head so that the next time I think of it I can just shove it away, knowing I've already thought it through.

Not on topic but I just want to thank you Jessica for all the content you have provided to the ADHD community. I have recently been diagnosed as having ADHD. It never occurred to me that I may have this problem, when I was a child it was considered a ‘boy problem’. I only started thinking about it last year when my daughter said she thought I may be ADHD, she had been investigating it for a friend. I, of course, dismissed this as total nonsense but then my hyper focus superskill took over and began investigating it, which is when I found you! The penny slowly began to drop, and I felt so sad for my lost opportunities and failure to reach my potential. Then I thought what can i do about it now? Definitely still need help with impulse control and paying attention, not to mention housecleaning, which completely fell apart during the lockdowns. So I called my GP and was given a referral to mental health services. About a month or so ago my diagnosis was confirmed and yesterday I started my medication. It’s taken 65 years but perhaps now I can function in what is considered a normal way!

This was me literally yesterday 😭😂🤣 it's worse before my PMS. It was negative but I literally just wrote in journal every thing that came into my mind to let it out and it helped but this is great information. Thank you fellow brains 🧠

Awesome content, Jessica. Scheduling breaks helps a lot, and is crucial when working from home. I try to use the last 10 minutes of every hour to reset, with at least one mid-day aerobic activity. Without this routine, I am much more prone to rumination. Reframes like "Would I punish anyone else the way I'm punishing myself?" help me to overcome self-judgemental rumination as well.

Hello, I’m 36 and am newly diagnosed with adult ADHD. It’s been rough. I’ve been watching your videos and see examples of what I’ve been experiencing for years, but never fully understood. I have trouble with rumination and intrusive, often distorted thoughts. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that has dealt with this. It’s been great watching these. 👍🏻

This video has really helped me today. I’ve had a day of multiple failures due to me dropping the ball several times in the past. My usual methods of dealing with this aren’t working so I’m glad I have the distraction of trying out other people’s methods. I agree on changing rooms and moving about even though today that isn’t working.

Ohhh yes if you're struggling with rumination, I would consider reading the book Brain Lock. It is about OCD, but heavy rumination is a huge part of OCD. My therapist actually diagnosed me with OCD, before realizing it was ADHD, without the hyperactivity. The book was the only thing that helped me.

I have ADHD, but also C-PTSD and it’s often difficult to determine where my rumination stems from. I do find it really helpful though to consider what the ‘negative belief about myself’ is regarding the rumination. I find more often than not it really gets to the root of the issue, so I can then actually hear the logic my brain (or therapist) tries to tell me.

I resonate a lot with the reply from Caroline Wong. I've never tried a flow chart, but Parent Mode is 100% something I do. Sometimes when the spiral is due to sadness, I go for a walk and I'll deliberately continue the spiral. It's about a 2-mile walk, and I'm a night walker by nature, so it's quiet out and I can talk myself through it with no distractions. Usually I'll cry a bit. I learned a few self-soothing techniques from someone who has flashbacks, like stroking your arms or singing something soothing aloud or just talking to yourself aloud. My reasoning is that: 1) Walking helps make the thoughts more linear, so even if they're still tracking downward at least I'm making progress. 2) The saddness churns up a lot of emotions. It's like a blister, I need to take care of it or else it's gonna burst under the least bit of pressure at the worst moment. And it's exhausting, but I feel better allowing myself that bit of time to feel. 3) Sad thoughts tend to stick around longer. Talking through it can help me to organize the thoughts and consider perspectives. I dunno how else to describe it, it's like giving me permission to unmask with myself.

pardon me while I watch every video on your channel and have a little cry 😂 I'm 29 and just recently diagnosed with ADHD and it basically ruined my life in a lot of ways. I barely squeaked by and managed to graduate college based purely on the mercy of professors who allowed me to retake failed tests and submit papers months late (and in one case, over a YEAR late). it's absolutely insane to me that I didn't get diagnosed earlier, but I'm trying to move forward in my life with the knowledge that I have the capability to change my life for the better now that I'm medicated and receiving therapy and treatment for my ADHD. your videos have also been wonderful and so helpful for me. thank you for doing what you do, it's deeply appreciated ❤️

This is where I like to see my ADHD as a “gift” rather than curse. Cure to a thought spiral? Distraction! Definitely harder to do if you have comorbidities such as depression and anxiety, but with most thought spirals, I find something mentally active can help. I like doing puzzles (sudoku, crosswords) or reading. TV could work, but I find it too easy to let my mind wander while watching tv

In my old office before I relocated, I had a second table. It was for meeting with employees, but I found that if I just moved myself to that table and worked from there, facing a different direction in my office, it would stop the spin and I could focus. It's like I broke that cycle. It also worked on the really bad "squirrel" days. We also had a walking track and sometimes I'd go there, similar to Pete's advice, just to get moving. My new work location doesn't have either of these options and might explain why I'm struggling more. (back to watching, I wasn't done but I'd forget my thought if I waited)

can I just say the part where Jessica was struggling with the KZfaq app or whatever was actually a really good demonstration and she's very resilient and cool and queen mother slay?

Something that helps me that I saw on Pinterest is saying true things like, "This apple is red," and then something you want to be true like, "I'm going to be okay." Idk why it helps, but it made me feel a lot better. You can do a bunch. "It's raining and I'm okay." This is a phone, and I'm going to do well on the test." It helps if you say them out loud. I haven't been diagnosed with ADHD, but these videos are super helpful for me and I'm going to talk to my doctor about it soon.

This is exactly what I needed. Been looking up videos on this because I'm self aware enough that it's bad. Thank you

I love the community engagement in this video. It's helpful to be reminded that we are all struggling together.

my favorite method for stopping rumination in its early stages is literally to tell my brain "Hey! Drop It" like when you want a dog to stop holding something in their mouth. works like a charm

What seems to help me depends on the type of rumniation, but one thing almost always helps: imagining my negative thoughts and bad memories as KZfaq videos on my home screen and choosing not to watch them....mentally clicking "do not recommend channel" and using my brain's search bar to search for fun and positive memories...or if I'm overthinking a situation, I write down what it is, to what extent I can control it, and some action steps I can take...it helps to externalize worry and to put it into perspective. Many people say you have to drop down into your body but it doesn't work for me usually...I find more cognitive techniques are useful to me.

Weird but somewhat related question: Does anyone else here sometimes notice that they ruminate about good things that happened in the past? It's almost like I'd be mildly addicted to that memory to see if I could squeeze a little more happiness from it.

I really like the choice to include the struggles that would likely be cut from videos on other channels. It's nice to see these kinds of experiences not being hidden away and instead acknowledged.

These videos actually helped me figure out that I have ADHD, speak with a dr. and now im starting treatment for it. Thank you for putting words to things that i was experiencing that i couldn't vocalize on my own. Truly helpful beyond words.

Oh my gosh the word puzzle thing before bed just made sense. Yesterday I was struggling with being stuck in a rut (I am diagnosed combined type ADHD) and I just want to get somewhere but I get so overwhelmed, procrastinating, negative self talk kicks in etc etc. Last night, I went on this brain training app for a bit and I ended up falling asleep. I'm definitely going to remember this for next time :D

Thank you for this. a doctor recent told me I probably don't have ADHD and it's more likely anxiety. One of many things I've been thinking in circles about, he's very wrong. I'm a big fan of taking emotion walks to help me figure it out. sometimes it's like walking beside the demon. Sometimes it's like the demon is standing in front of you every step, but it helps! Either to sort of work through what I'm constantly thinking about or to redirect my thoughts so now Instead of thinking about whatever the thing is, I'm thinking about how pretty it is outside

A question like this is hard to answer because it depends on what's causing the rumination. The rumination will continue until the thing causing it is handled, or you find another coping mechanism for it. If you can find out what it is and do something about it, that is always the best option. However, if you don't know what it is or can't do anything about the source, distraction usually helps until you find a better coping mechanism. Source - first-hand experience, so take with a grain of salt.

Literally felt that in my SOUL when you said you suddenly thought "Im not a real KZfaqr" because you werent able to do what you were trying to fast enough That kind of stuff throws me so off and everything comes to a screeching hault. I totally get wanting to cry. I hate it for you but Im glad Im not alone.I know its incorrect logically which makes me feel worse. So thankful for you sharing.

Dr. K gave some great advice: "Your attention follows your perception." If you change your sensory inputs by listening to something else or looking at something else, your attention will follow

I had a CBT coach who said I should try to project my "astral self" outside my body, stand behind me and put my hands on my shoulders. I imagine my outside self consoling my body, while thinking of the most beautiful, peaceful place I've ever been (my mothers house in the mountains of Ireland helps). It's the most effective solution to self-destructive, addictive thoughts that I've experienced. Recently I've been trying to be kind to myself and not beat myself up over uncontrollable rumination because I often curse my mind for constantly finding my thoughts on unhelpful and damaging monologues in my mind..it's a work in progress :)

I think its also important to say that anxiety can sometimes trick you into thinking that that spiraling and negative talk is a permanent state. So having a list of things to do to change focus, and even taping it to the wall next to you is a good thing to remind you that in fact you can, and will, snap out of it.

For me, finding myself ruminating (which usually goes along with sleepless nights) is a sign that it's TIME TO DEAL with whatever it is I'm ruminating about. Haven't gotten around to that difficult conversation with a friend, my boss or a coworker, spending my savings instead of living within my means. Not going to a doctor because I am afraid there might be something really wrong with me. Basically, an important, but not urgent task that is about to catch on fire and create havoc in my life. Those are some examples of things I have ruminated about. I was happy when I finally realized how to solve the problem . Love what you are sharing with us. Thanks.

To stay on a task I distract my brain by listening to a podcast while I am doing that task. I'm an artist and listening to a podcast while I'm drawing helps to keep me focused. Even my husband watching tv in the background helps because it keeps my thoughts from wondering. I also have an extreme difficulty if someone is talking to me understanding and following the conversation. My body actually learned how to stay focused to the conversation by fidgeting. I bounce my leg or move my arms while they are talking. In school I would doodle and it actually helped me follow along because it keeps that part of my brain that likes to wonder busy I guess. Lol Thank you again for these videos. I never knew how much ADHD effects my body as well as my mind and your channel really helps me to understand and helps explain it to my mom who doesn't really get it either. So truly from the bottom of my heart thank you. I'm 36 and I only learned about a year ago that I have ADHD. I've always been diagnosed with anxiety, and depression and yes those do come with ADHD but it's the ADHD that causes a lot of it. So finally getting the treatment I need, I am finally coming to know myself and that is something because honestly I never really cared about myself. I didn't even know my own sense of style and who I am as a person. You have helped me figure that out and that means the world to me.

Can I just say thank you for this channel. I'm recently diagnosed (at 52!) and so much of my behaviour that had frustrated me now makes sense. The fact that there are all of you here has instantly made me feel less of a weirdo but the amazing ideas and strategies are genuinely helpful. Much appreciation 👏

Super helpful for my ADHD/OCD/trauma brain. I'm really glad you posted this. Lots of great ideas for my non-stop mind.

2 things for me: social interaction & working out Something about the satisfaction of a good conversation with a stranger or loved one combined with a positive workout changes my day completely. I should take my own advice haha

I have the demon she is always active. So I let myself finish the scenario but then will say, "Nay" and will shake my head and moving on. Those scenarios can keep spiraling and I know they are the past bugging me and then I will go into my RPGing mode and go character mode and it knocks me to a scenario that I can play out online but then when it's done then I can move on. Your channel has been a light for me. I have ADHD the combined type that includes hyperactivity. With anxiety and depression and autism my brain doesn't always want to shut off and it's hard so your channel speaks to me in a way that says I am not alone. My husband will watch your channel because then feels that he knows me better and has a greater understanding for some of the demons that lurk. I am forever grateful to your channel.

The timing of this video is amazing I've been dealing with some medical issues and I didn't even realize what I was experiencing was ruminating it's been almost a week straight of spiraling thoughts.

I put myself in a verbal feedback loop. Usually “grace is ok” or if i get into a thought spiral cause a plan or something has changed, ill verbally go through my schedule and reassure myself its ok and the change isnt a big deal.

I handle spiraling thoughts "rumination" by hiding away from everyone and everything for months at a time and binge watching shows/youtube to get my brain to shut the hell up for even a little while. I still lose focus and end up in a 30 minute day dream about the odd color pattern of a dog that walked by, and that eventually turns into the "what life could have been" and "you're a failure and will die living under a bridge" day dreams. Then I rewind whatever I was watching until I recognize something and try again! Works every time!

You getting frustrated about the KZfaq task you were trying to do and using that new technique in real time was so relatable I almost wanted to cry. Thank you for keeping that in to show us we’re not alone ❤️

wow this popped up at the PERFECT time! been kinda stuck in a ruminative cycle which has been burning me out even more using up all the energy that could be used for other purposes, THANK YOU!!! edit : my best analogy would be an endless treadmill of thoughts lol

Sometimes I'll completely stop what I'm doing and cuddle my dog. It's a good way to reset my mind when I'm stuck on certain thoughts. Sometimes it's hard to unglue myself, but once I recognize that I'm ruminating, I have to physically change what I'm doing in that moment as if the bloodflow from moving cleanses my motivations. A lot of introspection required.

I also have ADHD and anxiety! When my anxiety was really bad and I was spiralling, I found that doing a puzzle (1000-4000 pieces) while rewatching a movie or a tv series that I like (with headphones) is the only thing working for me!

Thank you so much for including the clips of you actively getting frustrated and starting new thought spirals, and then trying to use the ACE technique to move through/past them. Things like that are what make your videos soo relatable, real, and encouraging for another person (me) who deals with the same issues.

Be Physical: Actual hard labor of any kind. During yesterday’s spiral🌀 I did some hole-digging, dirt-moving and wood-chopping. It got me to refocus on other tasks I wanted to accomplish. The physicality of doing a menial but taxing activity immediately creates different thoughts.🌿

Oh yes suffered this a lot over the years. It rarely happens now, to the point it shocks me when it does. I recommend a base of Growth Mindset, learn it until it takes no effort. Then for people generally lost in life and not too overly-sensitive with major issues to deal with, Mark Manson. If people have life issues to deal with that might qualify as Psychiatric / Psychological issues, I recommend Uncommon Knowledge UK on KZfaq. The video on Inferiority Complex is very good and helped me absolutely burst my own after two or three watches. I will never be the most physically attractive, wealthy, athletic or intelligent. Those types of people are extreme outliers. What I can do, is be my best self, a journey of constant self-improvement, and not *care* that I'm not the most handsome, rich, fastest or brainiest. This then ironically, sets me up to be more attractive, confident, healthier, and try harder to learn!

When I m in a bad spot and having a bad day or week I listen to your channel to feel less alone or understand that I'm not a failure

I recommend the anchor you mentioned. When the person is ruminating, I liken it to your inner child feeling ignored about thier concerns. So they persistently try to engage you. But if you stop, validate the inner voice by taking the time to understand why it is speaking out....put a plan in place to address it in a more appropriate way/time...then find a way to reconnect to the current activity..then the ruminating reduces. I've been doing this for years. As long as you go back and revisit it as promised, the brain rewires over time

I figure my thoughts are there for a reason and I’d best acknowledge them properly to let them go or they’ll crop back up no matter what. Putting them down in dot point form usually helps. Sometimes that means texting a person to apologise and explain myself whilst letting them know I love and value them. Depends what you’re ruminating on at the end of the day.

This whole thing reminds me so much of “turtles all the way out” by John Green which is a book on ocd. I haven’t found a way to stop ruminating yet and that’s why I think this video will come in handy, but I guess what kind of works for me is listening to loud music, going for a run and writing what’s on my mind at that exact moment on paper. Hope this helps and absolutely love your videos.

You know honestly the most helpful thing about this video is just seeing someone else who has put the time into managing their ADHD still have a "bad brain day." I feel so often that I should be accomplish more than I do in a day, and I think we sometimes just need to let ourselves have a bad day. That doesn't mean give up, it just means try your best with maybe lowered expectations and re-examined goals.

Ah man I needed this. Anxiety with HSAM and I will replay events over and over and then spiral into what ifs and what we’re they really thinking, remember eyes, brows pinched or wide, lips smirked or smiled but not a full smile… and it can go on for hours it seems

I've often had issues with rumination/thought spirals as well. Indeed, thinking your way out of it typically doesn't work. One of the things that works quite well for me is using the Wim Hof breathing method. Look it up on youtube, there's this guided video where you breathe deep in and out for 30 times and then hold your breath (for a couple of minutes, it's crazy how long you're able to do this). You do this 3 times in a row. Whenever my brain is overflowing with thoughts, doing this seems to 'reset' my brain as it just pushes you out of the thoughts you're having (and breathing exercises are great to calm down anxiety too!). Another great trick (although it isn't really fun) is taking an ice cold shower. Just start with a nice regular warm shower, then put your hand on the temperature controller and in one quick movement push it to the coldest setting and then just take it. Doesn't need to be long, just 30 seconds is enough. Your brain will go into full fight or flight mode, and at that point it's almost impossible to continue ruminating. Your brain is just overwhelmed by the cold feeling and you'll come out of the shower feeling fully 'reset' and whatever you were ruminating about feels like a distant thing. These two tricks work the best for me, so give it a try and see if it helps :)

Thank you for these videos. I was diagnosed a few months ago. Your videos help me realize I’m not alone.

you did great sweetie; don't worry about your "bad brain day" and its so refreshing to see a professional struggling too, i hate whenever someone is trying to help when cause its like sure you may understand my stuggles but do you really understand cause you're not struggling

whenever i feel like im the only one struggling this much, i come to watch ur videos. u make me feel better

Your an amazing girl who's helps me keep my head.ive been diagnosed with ADHD as a child and stopped the meds at 16 and and now at 40 because I asked for them back it's a nightmare.10 week I've been waiting for a doctor and still nothing.top girl and respect for doing the videos xx

Dude, this is really on topic for me right now. Thanks for putting this out I personally try to remove myself from where I'm ruminating, or I hit something very very hard(I currently blacksmith but I've done martial arts), the physical stimulation is helpful to break the line of thought.

I had suspicion I had ADHD, but last week my psychologist told me I had it and it is such a relief, I am not longer "just weird", have been subscibed to your channel for over half a year now, keep up the good work. I love you (not in a romantic sense, just that you are awesome and you helped me a lot even before I knew for sure my diagnosis)

As a person with other issues with ADHD , I use Tapping a lot because I believe ruminating is the brain problem solving which for me-is usually emotionally based and so the time it takes to rid the emotion or neutralize it. I-usually get relief and grow as well by retraining my brain. I have many other tools incase that doesn’t work ❤️

Can you please do an episode about how adhd for women, especially during the luteal phase, can affect all of the things that are adhd/emotional regulation/rumination. I know PMDD is very common with adhd women and I would love your take on it.

Thank you for not cutting out your frustration and anchoring and spiraling. Also, you're 100% a real youtuber, and that by no means means that you have to be the expert at everything youtube, that is what your team is for after all :D

When I am trying to focus on a task, I always keep a notebook close. When I find my mind wandering, I write down what my mind can''t let go. Since I use the pomodoro technique, I allow myself to address them during the "pause" time. This reassures me that I will not forget to think about it and I can return to focus at ease. A lot of the time, I eventually find that it was not important.

So much of myself makes sense after watching your videos! I used to do sudokus right before falling asleep as a routine. Now it is my go to when I can't sleep. It felt so counterintuitive but the mathematical thinking blocks out the other parts of my brain like the emotional or creative parts. My mind slows down while doing Sudoku and when I'm too tired to puzzle I slip into sleep. I also can fall asleep in a matter of minutes because I repurposed a meditation. I fell asleep when I tried it the first time and since then I practiced it a lot.

When I'm ruminating intensely on something I often also feel an oppressive urge to act out physically. A feeling I call "The Punchies". Obviously practicing self control is essential. However you can only suppress that pressure fur so long until it starts doing damage to your general mental state. Having a physical outlet has been vital to me in helping me relive that urge so that I canmanage and process thoughts and emotions with a level head. For me that outlet is Powerlifting, but there are many other good options to choose from.

I also found it so interesting when you spoke about the creative thought process can also be creative and making up scenarios. I went to art as an escape and found myself spiraling into anger I never associated that creative thinking maybe the opposite of what I need to do if I'm spiraling. Thank you for sharing I think that if I am going to do something creative it needs to be more structured where I have a start a middle and an ending This could be a healthier way for me to do this. As always you are amazing help to the community and thank you everyone else here that is supporting each other and so thankful to be a part of this community.

Had a breakthrough, the last time I had a nasty thought spiral I recalled all the other thought spirals I had, and that its conclusion was that I could thought spiral myself into permanent damage, I flipped the concept. I could spiral up. The same thought spiral structure can push me into excitement and appreciation. I was also walking when this process shifted.

I found you're channel yesterday morning, I have been struiggling with ADHD my whole life I am 28 years old. My mom never agreed with medication, I am so tired of struggling im going to try to find a neurologist next month I can not handle it any more :(

Remember things are harder when you have to perform, so you don't just have to know how to navigate youtube, you have to navigate youtube, look happy, and be entertaining. Edit: I've also been imagining talking to you about doing more research in using technology with people with adhd. I just have a lot of faith in you, your energy and the community you built, so if you're second guessing yourself, think about what you do well and adapt the task to work with that.

My problem with rumination is that I can often easily distract myself from it, but once I go back to the task that started it, the spiral starts again.

One day whilst I was doing chores for hours, I was beginning to ruminate on past mistakes, but recognised that I was beginning to ruminate in a not-helpful way, and thought to myself "what is something that I'd rather do? Ooh I'll listen to this music podcast that was on my mind". I put it on and by the end I had completely forgot the rumination. As simple as it sounds, sometimes just doing something else the mentally preoccupies us (helps if it was a fun/interesting thing that was already on our minds before the rumination loomed) will stop feeding the negative part of your brain that ruminates and start feeding the positive part of your brain that gets joy from thinking and engaging with stuff.

Watching this while having a thought spiral about how I can’t drive because I get so distracted and freaked out behind the wheel. Hopefully this gets me out of it

Tie it to a feeling for sure. I'm trying to see rumination as a conference room where the emotion (limbic) gets to talk to your executive function (PFC). Can you resolve? Can you terminate the situation? Try to explore the trigger. Definitely connect and engage, to me this is thinking through the rumination. Think of it like an earworm, it won't go away until you hear the complete song.

Getting lost in the spiral especially when I have more important things to do is one of my daily problems. This episode gave me a lot of ideas to deal with that. Thanks a lot! And to think that it was just based on the responses of the community and not a fully researched topic reminded me once again that I'm not alone in this and there are so many people who could relate and give effective advice. I'm so glad to have found this community.

Inner child work has honestly been the most helpful for me, so it's good to hear you're working on it! c: I find it hard to help myself, esp when I'm in a negative spiral, but when I remember I'm neglecting the needs of my past self I can't do that to them. They're just a kid who heard these thoughts so many times from awful people, and I'm not gunna be another bully in that line. It really helps me stay motivated to handle spirals in a healthy way, even when I don't feel I "deserve it".

I loved listening to your thought process re you tube. When you acknowledged that cascade of thoughts. To the outside world it was just a moment of glitch....but in your head it went straight to the 'what is wrong with me' spiral. It is comforting to not feel alone in this and I appreciate your openness and honesty. The website I have accessibility issues with is, ironically, the ADHD WA website and, again, ironically, the website we use here to access disability and welfare type services! They are both those passwords that just doesn't fit the norm and take too long to send you a reset (aka already distracted by something else and walked away from the computer) and then, if you try too many times...you get locked out....the spiral is real

Such a great video! My thought spiral has been very severe lately, this was a well-timed video. For me, Parts work/IFS therapy has been really helpful. Similar to inner child work. Hugely healing.

"Dropping anchor" sounds a lot like mindfulness meditation. Very happy to see TPH mentioned here, but I do feel a need to point out that the app is paid. Lots of people feel it's worth the money though, clearly.

Several times during this session, I thought of the Emotional Frequency Technique (Tapping). It is so good to address those voices, deal with them and then to move on. Thus fewer voices/thoughts to ruminate on. A good place to start is here on KZfaq, look for World Tapping Circle. Her technique may be lengthy at times, but the results are amazing. I am ADHD and it is changing my life, just a much as Doing ADHD is. Thanks you so much for all your research and sharing it with us, I've finally found myself at age 70.

I always forget about this channel, but there's ALWAYS good things to help with my ADHD.