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Distraction is a wonderful thing. Sometimes distraction can be a problem, but I find distraction really useful in small doses. It stops me from dwelling on negative things. If I'm in a bad mood, sometimes a simple distraction will help me to forget what I was grumpy about. At the very least, it's a reprieve from stress.

Here are a few of my favourite small distractions:

• Light entertainment podcasts. I love listening to friendly people chat about non-serious topics that are funny or interesting enough to hold my attention for a while. One of my favourites is , which is a fascinating podcast about words and language that is strangely calming due to the soothing voice of the host, Helen Zaltzman. 
• Cooking something. Focusing on a task that requires my full attention and also results in something tasty helps to take my mind off things. 
• Social media. I find Instagram and Facebook to be fairly negative for my mental health, so I try to use social media that entertains me and makes me laugh. I like scrolling through Tumblr and (embarrassingly) have recently become addicted to TikTok. 
• Playing with the dog. Dogs frankly couldn't care less about human trials and tribulations. They just want to play, and it's infectious. 
• Crosswords. I know crosswords are more of a grandpa activity, but they are very satisfying and low-stress. Somehow, even if I'm not doing well on my assignments, I feel just a bit better when I finish my crossword successfully.

What are your favourite healthy distractions?