Mind Drama: The Science of Rumination and How to Outwit Your Inner Defeatist
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
May 2026 · Penguin Random House Audio
headphones
Audiobook
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on May 19, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this audiobook
An acclaimed science writer explains why we so often become lost in our most self-defeating thoughts and how to transform this brooding energy into something empowering and productive.
Why'd I do that? I’m such an idiot! What did he mean by that comment? He’s such a jerk. Ideally, our thought spirals help us process difficult situations and emotions. When they become repetitive, however, they can be highly problematic: your brain is ruminating. And science has shown the degree to which we ruminate, perhaps more than any other mental act, determines our life-long well-being.
In Mind Drama, veteran science writer Donna Jackson Nakazawa gets inside the strange magnetism of rumination, explains why we're all doing it now more than ever, and shares the new science for decoding, exiting, and repurposing this dark mental habit. Using her own ruminative mind as a test case, she walks us through the actionable neuro-hacks that can help us escape unhealthy brooding, like:
A deeply helpful roadmap to the anatomy of self-criticism and unproductive worry, Mind Drama shows us that with practice we can tame our thoughts and repurpose our ruminative tendencies to access our mind’s higher potential for creativity, ingenuity, and insight.
Why'd I do that? I’m such an idiot! What did he mean by that comment? He’s such a jerk. Ideally, our thought spirals help us process difficult situations and emotions. When they become repetitive, however, they can be highly problematic: your brain is ruminating. And science has shown the degree to which we ruminate, perhaps more than any other mental act, determines our life-long well-being.
In Mind Drama, veteran science writer Donna Jackson Nakazawa gets inside the strange magnetism of rumination, explains why we're all doing it now more than ever, and shares the new science for decoding, exiting, and repurposing this dark mental habit. Using her own ruminative mind as a test case, she walks us through the actionable neuro-hacks that can help us escape unhealthy brooding, like:
- A checklist of questions to pinpoint how your own brain works; this is how to begin to train it in a new direction.
- How to use ballistic interruptions—words with emotional power—to exit your ruminating thoughts and rewire your mind.
- Suggested body-state breakers, an array of "emergency switch" movements and breathwork to help you self-soothe in the moment.
- How to crack your personal rumination code by assigning names to the images, emotions, and sensations that accompany your downward spirals. Personalizing language this way becomes your portal to escape.
- Why your patterns of rumination have something profound to tell you: they are signal fires from your past; once you understand the messages they’re sending you, you can use that insight to begin to heal.
- How to reverse engineer your ruminative thoughts and spiral up: How to cultivate an "opposite feeling,” learn to "zoom out" to gain perspective, and other actionable skills.
A deeply helpful roadmap to the anatomy of self-criticism and unproductive worry, Mind Drama shows us that with practice we can tame our thoughts and repurpose our ruminative tendencies to access our mind’s higher potential for creativity, ingenuity, and insight.
About the author
Donna Jackson Nakazawa is the author of five books that explore the intersection of neuroscience, stress, and emotion, including Girls on the Brink, named one of the best health books of the year by The Washington Post, The Angel and the Assassin, named one of the best books of the year by Wired magazine, and Childhood Disrupted, a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Award. Her work has appeared in Wired, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Health Affairs, Stat, Psychology Today, and Psychotherapy Networker. She has appeared on Today and NPR and is a regular speaker at universities and organizations, including Child Mind Institute, Harvard Science, UCLA Health, and Rutgers Health.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
