Past & Present & Future Mindfulness Reminder

This morning I was thinking (and talking) to myself about the various issues I have and I noticed how much I mull over these same issues. Even talking to myself, I replay the same problem and loop my responses and ideas about the issue over and over again, wondering if I'm doing the right thing. It reminds me of how we look in the fridge for a snack and, finding nothing, we walk off and come back to look again as if food is magically going to appear 😂 Except I know I can always go to the store. With rumination, I'm trying to make sense of something that is missing key points. I try to plan for every possiblity, but in the end, I still have no idea what will happen. I realized is that my issues have something in common: they are over situations that are BEYOND MY CONTROL. Rather than accepting, I attempt to affect them in what little ways I can, pretty much unsuccessfully and not worth all the effort. Wouldn't it be nice to redirect all that energy into something more productive?

Today, I accidentally said "sit with the thought and let the thought be there." And now I'm obsessing that because I used "and", that now "sit with the thought" and "let the thought be there" mean two different things. I should have said: "Sit with the thought. Let the thought be there." I'm afraid that because I said sit with the thought AND let the thought be there, that this means make the thought real 😞

Hello everyone! I’m starting to recognize when my thoughts begin to spiral, when i’m seeking reassurance or checking. But I still have the sense of uneasiness and anxiety. I was wondering what others do that allow them to move forward with their day when they realize this? I don’t know if I’m making sense, but what are ways you pull the focus back to the present and yourself? Like besides saying “maybe or maybe not”, more like what do you do with yourself after you recognize the thoughts? I feel like I’m at a “now what?” and don’t know what to do with my anxious energy. I’m trying to find something physical to help me so if you also have any hobbies or interests that help I would love to hear it.