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Starting a mindfulness practice is the way forward when you want to get a bird’s-eye view of what your thoughts are doing.

When you notice that you are sliding down the slippery slope of rumination, try a firm hand pushed out in front and one word, ‘Stop!’, quickly followed by physical movement, such as standing up and moving away from the position you are in. Change activity for a moment, or even just walk around or step outside for a few minutes, whatever is possible

The more you do something, the more established that neural activity becomes. This means the more you churn over painful thoughts or memories, the easier it becomes for you to bring those things to mind. You find yourself in a trap in which you continuously re-trigger painful emotions and distress and spiral down into a dark place.

Human connection is quite possibly the most powerful tool we have to let those thoughts exit after a few rounds.

Turning our attention is a skill that can be practised with both mindfulness and gratitude practice.

Low mood increases any self-criticism or self-attack that we already do.

The way that we start to believe something more positive about ourselves is to use action to create evidence for it.

Why you do what you do. The one person you most need the approval of is you. When the way we are living is out of line with our values and what matters most, life stops feeling meaningful or satisfying.

you can practise welcoming the sensations of fear and sitting with them, without pushing them away.

Write down the situation in which you would like to build more confidence.