"That the birds of worry and care fly above your head, this you cannot change. But that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent." — Chinese proverb

Ever find yourself ruminating about something, perhaps something you fear happening in the future or something you fret that happened in the past? Stop denying the rumination. Instead of suppressing or denying  the thoughts, designate 15 or 20 minutes per day to pure and unadulterated rumination. Imagine every possible scenario, every possible outcome and then when the allotted time is up, cease permitting such thoughts in your mind. If you find your mind returning to the ruminations, gently remind yourself that you already had time to obsess so it's done with and over until the following day.

"The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it." — Dee Hock

We may be adults, but we still carry wounds from the past. They can rear their ugly heads in strange and unexpected ways. Take the time to address these stubborn habits and patterns so they don't rule your life now and in the future. 

Make a list of your old ideas (ways you think of yourself, like, "I am dumb"). Make another list of your grosser handicaps (labels, not specific behaviors, like critical and self-centered). Then make a list of your more specific harmful behaviors (like, you talk negatively about person A to person B) associated with the grosser handicaps.