[avin01]

I relate to this a lot. For me, noticing the loop is already half the battle, but it doesn't mean I can exit it.

What's helped is switching from "debugging" to "externalizing". Writing the thoughts down, like logs, makes them feel less real and less recursive. Once it's on paper, it loses some power.

One small thought exercise I picked up from The Power of Now that surprisingly works for me: when I'm deep in a rabbit hole, I take a few deep breaths and ask myself, "What will my next thought be?" For a moment everything just goes quiet, and the mind kind of resets. I've used this hack multiple times.

Another thing that matters more than I expected is just building basic habits. Exercise, walking, sleeping on time, eating properly. Nothing fancy, but having a pattern makes the bad loops less frequent.

I've also learned anxiety isn't always something you can reason away. Sometimes it's just a physical state and you have to change the input before the mind follows.

[takinola]

Writing down what you are feeling and thinking is really effective in reducing your anxiety. It does not need to be fancy or well written, just get it out of your head and unto a page.

Also helpful is developing a practice of observing yourself. Just make a mental note of what is going on. Something like "I am feeling sad", "My chest feels very tight", etc. The key here is to create some distance between yourself and these emotions.

My last recommendation is to develop acceptance. Most things lose their scariness once you accept them. Once you are fine with whatever scenario is causing you stress, it loses its sting. This can be hard to do but is extremely effective in quieting your mind.