LPT: When you’re overwhelmed, frustrated, scared, angry, etc with yourself, visualize your brain as a separate character. Give it a face and body if you like. Imagine what it is doing when you are overwhelmed. Then speak to it and empathize with it.

This is an extremely helpful tool that I learned in therapy as a way to halt negative thought cycles. When I have panic attacks, I imagine my brain as a cute little guy with sneakers and a hat. I imagine that he’s running around frantically, digging through files looking for something, smashing his own face into a wall, anything that I personally feel like doing. I acknowledge him. I say “hey. I see you panicking over there. I understand why you feel like that. You are being put through a lot. It’s okay.” I also start offering solutions to my brain’s problems because it’s a lot easier to give someone else advice than yourself. Then i start to realize that I probably have a lot more options than i thought i did. It has helped me empathize with myself and start these inner dialogues that help me come up with more creative solutions than just freaking out. I hope this helps someone else as much as it has helped me, even if it’s just one other person.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Edit: if you struggle with mental visualization, try drawing a picture! Make it personal.