O,

Real quickly, since I'm about to head out:

May sound odd, but when my mind starts swirling away on a flight of past-present-future negativity, I try to 1) recognize and admit that it's happening: ("Okay. here I go again"). 2), for me that voice is the little boy me in me. Not the good one (joy, wonder, stars, bubbles, etc.), but the adaptive little boy ("Okay, there you go again") and I gotta get his sticky little fingers off the steering wheel fast so I talk to that side of me quickly. ("I'll handle this") . 3) And then I totally interrupt/break what I'm doing. I will pull the car over and get out for a moment. I will stop mowing the lawn and read a book or magazine for 20 seconds. I will turn off the TV and go throw out the garbage. I will leave wherever I am for a 2 minute walk. I will sing. Anything.
Then congratulate myself.

Yeah, I know...I'm weird crazy

Gardener

"My soul, be satisfied with flowers,
With fruit, with weeds even; but gather them
In the one garden you may call your own."
Cyrano deBergerac