thank you! it’s an appropriate question 🙂
you’re absolutely right- I am extremely self-aware. Maybe I was always that way to some extent, but I’ve become more and more that way over time through intentional practice. Self-monitoring is such a key part of coping and mental health. There are a couple of specific things I like to do when self-monitoring negative mood:
1. I play the “is this a BIG deal?” game. The game is pretty obvious: I decide whether whatever’s going on is a big deal, a medium deal, or a small deal. If it’s a small deal, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter or I can’t be upset. It’s a great way to validate: “yes, it’s a small deal, but it’s still a deal.” and then refocus my thoughts elsewhere. If it’s a medium deal or a big deal, then I can still validate and ask myself if there’s anything I can do about it right now. If yes, then I try to do it. If no, then I decide whether I should try to refocus or whether I need some time to decompress. So many things are a small deal, and keeping that in mind helps me not let those things overwhelm me.
2. I ask myself “what would I do if I was in a good mood?” Like many people, my instinct during a bad mood is to cater to that mood. The problem is that it can become a self-fulfilling cycle: the things I want to do during a bad mood often just perpetuate the bad mood, while the things I want to do during a good mood can perpetuate the good mood. So by checking to see what I would do if everything was the same, except that I was in a good mood, I can make sure I’m making the best choice for myself in that situation.
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i'll apple your turnover 