Besides doing for others and not taking things personally, a healthy perspective can come from simply getting some distance from a situation.

By creating space.

This can be done literally: if you are having trouble at work, get up and go outside for a walk to take yourself out of the environment that’s causing you so much stress.

Even if you are in the middle of something, breaking your thinking pattern by clearing your head with a walk and you’ll be so much more productive when you get back.

Creating space and gaining distance can also be metaphorical.

Sometimes we need mental space more than physical space.

If you are having trouble with a relationship, try moving your mind away from it by engaging your creativity.

Draw a picture about how you feel, do some work on a workshop or start a project, read a short story or even a children’s book. All these activities take you somewhere else mentally and are sometimes enough to gain the perspective you need to come back to the relationship and deal with the issues more objectively.

If literal and metaphorical distance don’t release the grip your mind has on you, I’m afraid you’ll have no other choice then to give in and laugh.