Out of your head and into your body. Rumination is good, it helps us self reflect and learn from our mistakes. However, we have to be mindful and not fall into dwelling. Dwelling can immobilise us and keep us in toxic situations and unhelpful mindsets (we‘ve all been here!) It‘s easy to fall into these unhelpful mindsets, especially because getting out of them takes effort which is what we lack when we are feeling down.
So, the idea is to act and then your mind will follow. This is a basic CBT principle.
If we sit waiting to feel better it takes longer and doesn’t always happen. Get up, get out, do anything that makes you feel better (healthy things not unhealthy distractions that only serve to make it harder in the long run). Get creative, write, draw, go to bed and read, play music, create anything that you love. Dance, sing (which is amazing for your mood and screaming lyrics in the shower is proven to increase serotonin - our happy hormone - and release stress), collect leaves in the woods, root yourself barefoot to the earth. Get back to nature.
Basically, do anything that increases your happiness bucket but never forget the importance of rest and self care too (put your own oxygen mask on before you can help others) because life is too hard and too short for anything else. Self care is something that I plan into my week It is as important as planning the parties. I hope it is part of your week and if it isn’t then it’s time to make it part of it. One of my customers said, after spending the hour having her nails done, she immediately felt less stressed. There’s an advertisement to go do something for yourself if I’ve ever heard one. If we are less stressed then it benefits the ones around us so no mum guilt the next time you decide to take an hour or two (or a weekend) for yourself!