Have you heard of the 5-4-3-2-1 method? It's a mechanism for connecting to the present tense, especially for dealing with anxiety and overwhelming emotions. It goes like this:

Ask yourself what are five things you can see right now? What are four things you can hear? What are three things that you feel? What are two things that you smell? What is one thing that you taste?

I have found it particularly useful when I have found myself swirling in thoughts of anxiety and worry. It does slow the moment down, and if there's one thing I want these days, it is to slow down a moment.

Now, not to be particularly facetious, but what if the five things you see are problematic? What if the four things you hear grate against your ears? What if the three things you feel rub you the wrong way? What if the two things that you smell are putrid and toxic? what if the one thing you taste leaves a bitter taste in your mouth?

Perhaps, then, it is time to take direct action; sometimes taking action is the antidote to despair..