What Happens in Our Brain When We Have Repetitive Thoughts?

Introduction

I can remember the times when I have had repetitive thoughts keeping me from falling asleep. I have tried things to help with these thoughts and I think music helps me the most. There is so much more beyond these thoughts and I want to share with you all what I have learned about one thing that goes on in our brain when these thoughts occur and what can be caused by repetitive thoughts. I believe that this is important so that we can better understand ourselves!

What Goes On In Our Brain?

First, there are many things that can go on in our brain during repetitive thoughts, but I will be sharing one activity that can happen. According to Brook et al., one of the first components involved in repetitive thoughts is the CSTC loop. This loop has two parts, a direct and indirect pathway. Furthermore, the study found, “The direct pathway facilitates behavior initiation, whereas the indirect pathway inhibits or modulates these behaviors.” If there is an imbalance of hyperactivity in the direct pathway compared to the indirect pathway, then this can lead to repetitive thoughts! (Brook, Rizvi, and Hany 2004)

What Can Repetitive Thoughts Cause?

Why should we care about what repetitive thoughts do to our brain? Well, it is always important to care about every part of our body. As discovered by Schlosser et al., repetitive negative thoughts are involved in developing a mental health disorder and cognitive decline. (Schlosser et al., 2020) We should do our best to avoid having negative thoughts because we all know they do not feel great. Hopefully, knowing that repetitive negative thoughts can lead to a mental health disorder that can cause cognitive decline, will influence you to avoid having these thoughts! Not only for just avoiding those two effects, but for doing it for yourself as well. We should all take some time for ourselves. It’s easy for one to not recognize what may be affecting them in their lives, such as repetitive thoughts, because of how focused we are on other priorities in our lives. 

My Tip For Repetitive Thoughts

My main tip for repetitive thoughts is to listen to music! This helps me a lot to shut off any thoughts. I always put some slow music rather than energetic music when I am trying to go to sleep, and I switch to energetic music if it is during the day. However, I recommend trying different techniques to test what helps you the most. I recommend music because I enjoy it, and it is one of the only things that can help me clear my mind. If there is something that you enjoy, next time try to see if it helps you clear your mind! It’s important to find what can help you when you need to free your thoughts, even if you do not often experience repetitive thoughts. You will see that you can relax more easily!

Conclusion

Overall, more hyperactive in the direct pathway of the CSTC loop can lead to repetitive thoughts. Furthermore, the development of a mental health disorder and cognitive decline, can be caused by repetitive negative thoughts! Do not overlook the little things, especially repetitive thoughts. At the moment, those thoughts may not seem as if they are having an effect on you, but over time they can pile up. Hopefully, this helps you learn useful information that you can use in your daily life! I am currently on a trip to Yosemite as I am writing this and there are so many nice views. I start school next week and I know some people have already started. Let’s all look forward to the next school year and manage our mental well-being! Remember you are not alone! 

Works Cited

Brock, Hannah, Rizvi, Abid, and Hany, Manassa. “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Feb. 2024, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553162/.

Schlosser, Marco, et al. “Repetitive Negative Thinking Is Associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 Oct. 2020, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7547434/.