I’m trialing that, you aren’t your thoughts, (you aren’t your emotions or the meat suit you’re in) you are the entity that observes. So noticing my thoughts. That, plus, rumination being a fight or flight system being activated, that’s trying to save you, I remind it that it isn’t saving me. (But I don’t think that second part is a healthy attempt to dissolve it). I get so fed up with it playing in my head, getting louder and louder, repeating my mistakes, I used to swear at it. But that can become problematic. But it crushes my self worth! And gives me crushing social anxiety. So I need it to stop.

The patient way is calming down your nervous system and doing some nervous system regulation, just stuff that deactivates your fight or flight and tells your nervous system you are safe, crisis averted. Being conscious of things that activate your nervous system, like rushing, not resting, distracting yourself from reality all the time (cough cough, my phone addiction cough cough), making sure your needs are met, etc. Just taking a minute to be, just exist, is actually super powerful in telling your nervous system you’re safe, doing it more often here and there, can be powerful enough to rewire stress levels. That’s meditation / mindfulness, if someone had told me the why, earlier, I’d have taken all of that stuff way more seriously.

So, in short, a little bit of something regulating, depending on my mood and option availability at the time.

I say to myself, I notice I’m doing that thinking thing again. Take some deep breaths, stare at some pretty scenery or the sky, notice how my feet feel touching the earth, remind myself I’m safe, and capable, don’t need to worry about that any more. Stare at something pretty a little more.