I don’t even want to think about how many hours of my life have been lost to over-thinking, analyzing the pointless, and of course, dwelling on the past.  There’s really no benefit to self inflicting anxiety and fixating on things that can’t change — all you’ll really achieve is killing your own happiness, and who wants to do that?  Not this girl. Obviously, I’m all Namaste, betches.

I can’t say that I’ve come remotely close to mastering those occasional moments of mental spiraling, or that I’ve evolved to a place of calm wisdom, but I’ve gotten better.  I’ve taken more of a ‘breathe in, breathe out, take a walk, don’t react and find some internal mantra of mature rationale, no matter how far down you have to dig to find it’ approach to getting to the other side.

You’ll win some, and you’ll still lose some, but remembering that each moment you waste on worry and not creating some sort of positive change (or just simple mental silence) is a moment lost.  And that usually brings a little rationale to the situation, however begrudgingly I accept my own advice.

The truth is, we usually struggle with the same issues (constantly re-inventing themselves) and get stuck in our own cycles of overthinking and repetition.  At the end of the day we just need to give ourselves a break.  Let your hair down; don’t sweat the small stuff (but maybe actually sweat it out); simply live and allow yourself to be happy.

Here are my top five rules, and if I ever fully master them, I’ll let you know, but they’re great for a re-focus, or maybe a laugh:

1) If you want to have ice cream, have a damn ice cream.  It’s delicious happy food.  (just maybe don’t have it for every meal…)

2) You’re never too old for a mental health day.  Take one. Or two. And don’t let anyone take that time from you.

3) Take time to celebrate the small victories, a victory of any size is worth a little pause.

4) Don’t question your abilities.  Consider your course, evaluate your approach, and maybe recognize your weaknesses, but don’t ever cheapen your strengths.

5) If you regret it in the morning, sleep later.