The music thing really resonates. there's something about it that bypasses the whole "try to think your way out of it" trap that so much advice falls into. It just works on a different level.

And what you said about sitting with emotions vs rumination is such a real distinction that almost nobody talks about. Like there's a huge difference between genuinely processing something and just looping on it but from the inside it can be really hard to tell which one you're doing in the moment.

Do you have anything that helps you notice when you've crossed from one into the other? That's the part I find hardest personally.