If you can take walks in nature. If you have problems with letting go of intrusive thoughts while doing so, try listening to podcasts / audiobooks. Maybe try excercising, running or something similar?

Distractions. You need a lot of them. Good company. Good hobbies. Something.

It is never a great idea to let your mind wander off for too long, because it’ll go places you wouldn’t want it to and you’ll sometimes just be held down by it.

What really helped me was simplifying my life and putting myself first. Let’s take your statements one at a time:

Ex-Boyfriend - does not care about you. Don’t waste your energy there. It helped me to mute these people on socials and put them on limited view of my posts if you don’t want to block or remove.

Girlfriend - decide if you want to stay in this situation. What would need to improve to make it better? Will your partner accept these improvements? This should be your top priority. I don’t know you and I don’t know your background but the boyfriend breakup -> new sexuality -> open relationship jump seems confusing, complicated and a lot to take on. Take a hard look and make sure you’re doing this because it’s what you want - not from a place of looking for validation/acceptance or chasing someone.

Long-Time Friend - cut contact fully and take some space. Not now does not mean not ever. I had to have a difficult conversation with a friend recently where they really bought into rumours someone was spreading about me without asking me about it and wanted to make it up to me and I had to tell them I’m happy to be on friendly terms but don’t have the personal emotional capacity for more at this time. You don’t even have to tell the friend this much. You can just decide it and answer or not when you’re ready. No one has you at gunpoint forcing you to talk to people. See above on muting them on socials so you’re not tempted to interact.

Then, fill your time with things you enjoy. Take a fuck it attitude and get out there. For example, I found a group on meetup who had a common interest and went to some nights. It wasn’t expensive - the price of a cup of coffee - and it got me out of the house and interacting with new people. Look for low commitment things so you don’t overextend.

Exercise is good too. I find when I’m in crisis I tend to potato to weather the storm. Then when I’m on the mend I tend to get back into my routine.

Try to notice the way you talk to yourself in daily life too. You’ll get stuck longer if you’re down on yourself. For example jokes like “I’m dumb” become reality and your perception of yourself really quickly. I write one positive line about myself every day in my planner/journal.

I also found finding one to two “hype” people on social media who said positive things to be helpful. You mentioned your anxiety. If you’re not already doing so, seek out healthy, positive content to help you with that. It’s 2025 and therapy is expensive. This is a good first step.

Controversial, but there is a chatgpt therapist extension (not sure if free or paid). If I really feel emotional and stuck, and in my case I couldn’t vent to my friend anymore, I turn on temporary chat and let it fly with the chatgpt therapist. It is helpful to get validation/perspective on my situation in the moment and without judgement.

I know this is a lot but you can get through it by taking small steps. We all go through difficult times throughout life and each one is going to help you build resilience. Again, I don’t know you, your age or your circumstances but your post reads like you are younger. I know it’s cliche but the things that seemed like the world was ending when I was younger don’t even seem like real challenges now. Life really is one crisis after another.

Exercise was a good place to deal with anger and lower stress. Plus the routine meant even if things are my fault, this is one of the many steps to get better

At first glance, I feel like your in parentheses statements maybe should not be left beneath the surface.

Your environment has a tremendous impact on your emotions, in many cases depression is simply a chemical issue, kinda like a thunderstorm. Not much to do but prepare and seek shelter.

If you’re seeking to avoid general non chemical sadness then you should try to be around loving and kind people as much as possible, and seek solace in solitude when that’s not possible. Better thought patterns can lead to better outcomes as well.

Perhaps if you are able, consider volunteering? It feels a lot better than anything you can consume and helps build a routine with clear purpose that can help some people with anxiety.

I like to pull back a little and see my life from a 3rd person every now and then, while trying to keep a logical and optimistic mindset.

It’s gotten me through a lot in the last 5+ years.