I heard once that for every negative or stressful thought that we experience, chemicals related to that emotion are released into our system, and they remain there for a certain amount of time – generally eight to twelve seconds.

This perpetuates unhealthy mental states – including anxiety and depression – because our body is continuing to express those chemicals while we ruminate (get stuck on a thought) on the negative experience and keep it fresh in our minds.

The question is, then, why do we ruminate? Why do we allow ourselves to get stuck on a problem and run it over and over in our heads? Does it serve a purpose?

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