it's been a motherfucking rough october y'all, which sucks because it's usually my favorite month, and im still not out of this rut, so here are some of my favorite coping mechanisms, some a little lighter than others, if anybody else is going through it right now:
when i have an uncomfortable sensation, like nervous tummy or achey sad chest, i pull my awareness as fully as i can to somewhere else in my body that feels neutral, then move back to the unpleasant sensation and breathe through it, switching back and forth until i become more comfortable with the discomfort or the sensation lessens
guided🗣meditation🗣 traditional mindfulness meditation, sitting in the quiet void, can be really difficult when you're suffering, so guided meditations are a great anchor to lead you into a calmer space with lots of visualization prompts and give your mind something to come back to as it wanders. youtube has lots for many different purposes (sleep, stress, focus, etc) and im a big fan of the free app insight timer which has thousands of guided meditations
journaling, traditional and art journaling. paint your breath (move the brush or pen in rhythm with your breathing) or write out word associations of how you feel, maybe even painting over them if they're negative. traditional journaling wise, it's good to try not to simply vent but also look at what you need to get off your chest and find a solution for it. for example, if you're furiously writing about how overwhelmed you are, end the entry with what's good right now and what of the overwhelming stuff are actually properties, giving yourself some time to see what's an issue and what's not. journaling for me has been crucial in having an objective log of how i feel for when im in a rut and tend to misremember how bad things actually are (surprise, it's almost always not nearly as bad as i think), and is a good way to start observing and then changing your inner narrative
wash your face, brush your teeth, shower if you've got the spoons. just feeling clean and fresh can help boost your mood and reset an emotional spiral
add your own! if y'all have stuff that works for you that i haven't tried, im all ears