Interrupt ruminative loops with decentering breaks

When I first began mindfulness practice, I found myself trapped in loops of regret about things I’d said in the lab—little verbal slip-ups that stung in my mind. One morning, my phone alarm chimed; I’d set it just to notice when I drifted off. I realized I’d been rehearsing that same awkward phrase for minutes. I paused, whispered to myself, “I notice regret,” and felt a flicker of distance from the sting. Then I took three slow breaths, feeling the fresh morning air in my nostrils. When I opened my eyes, I was back at my desk, notes right in front of me. No editing, just a gentle reboot.

This decentering trick—catch, label, return—became my first line of defense in any moment that threatened to derail me. It didn’t make the regret vanish forever, but it dissolved its grip. Cognitive science now shows that by stepping outside your thoughts in this way, you weaken the default mode network responsible for mind-wandering and ruminative spirals.

You let your chosen cue—whether a chime or notification—bring you up short. You notice what painful thought was running on repeat and quietly label it: “I notice shame.” Without dwelling, you bring your awareness to the simple rhythm of breathing, anchoring your attention back to the here and now. You repeat this process whenever intrusive loops return, weakening their hold over time. Try it today the next time you sense yourself spiraling.