Mulling

(aka: Internal Rotisserie)

WHAT IT IS:
Mulling is the low-movement hobby of slowly turning the same thought over and over until it achieves neither resolution nor flavor, but does become strangely familiar.

Unlike problem-solving, which seeks closure, mulling is about extended atmospheric consideration. You are not deciding. You are simply keeping a thought warm.

Often practiced while staring out windows, standing in front of open refrigerators, or lying in bed reconstructing a conversation from 2017.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• One unresolved thought
• A comfortable but psychologically unhelpful location
• Optional beverage you forget to drink
• Distant gaze
• Zero deadlines (ideal, not required)

PROS:

• Feels intellectually productive from a distance
• Requires no equipment beyond a functioning internal monologue
• Can be practiced horizontally
• Makes you seem “deep” if photographed near a rainy window

CONS:

• No clear win condition
• May accidentally become anxiety
• Same thought may begin appearing in unrelated contexts
• Friends may mistake this for “processing”

Bonus Activity:

For advanced practitioners, introduce a new hypothetical variable just as the thought begins to fade.

Difficulty Level: Beginner to Advanced (depends on topic severity)

Time Commitment:
15 minutes to 6 business days

Skill Transferability:
Excellent. Applies directly to waiting rooms, shower standing, insomnia, and fake future arguments.

Cost Over Time:
Free financially. Emotionally variable.

Historical Note:
Early forms of mulling were likely practiced by philosophers, poets, and anyone who ever said “Hmm” and then absolutely did not move.

Historical Note