Life is tough and some days are more stressful than others. We’re all just doing the best we can, right? But sometimes, doesn’t it feel like our best just totally sucks, the world is against us, and the stress just keeps building and building and building? What do you do when you get to this point? Girl, I got your back. Here’s how to calm down when you’re freaking the eff out.
- Have a glass of wine. Or five. Yup, I am indeed suggesting that you drink an entire bottle of wine if you want to. If you’re satisfied with just one glass, good for you. If not, don’t feel guilty about taking on that bottle – just this once. You need it. Of course, if you find yourself doing it night after night, that might be indicative of a bigger problem and you should consider seeking outside help.
- Talk to a few trusted friends. There are some friends in your life that you can always turn to. Sometimes you’d be surprised by who they are. They’re not necessarily your besties; they’re the friends who always stand by you and never judge you and are close but not too close — these kinds of friends are the best to talk to. They’re like free therapy. Let them embrace you and give you advice.
- Do something relaxing. A hot bath, 20 minutes of uninterrupted meditation, a nice long walk – whatever relaxes you, do it. Before you tackle that mountain of things to do that’s stressing you out, you’ve gotta relax first. You owe it to yourself.
- Make a big-ass “To Do” list. Take everything that’s bugging you out and write it down. Then, evaluate what stresses are problems you can actually fix. Make a “To Do” list of your most stressful challenges, and plow through that list. The satisfaction you’ll get after crossing them out when you’re done is divine.
- Get your laugh on. You need humor and you need it now. Perhaps a Broad City or 30 Rock marathon? It’s for your HEALTH. Trust me.
- Write down a list of your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Yeah, this one sounds lame as hell, but it will help get you focused on what’s important. Sometimes we’re so clouded by stress and negativity that we lose sight of what really matters. Writing down your goals will help you to refocus, and might give you motivation to punch through your stress.
- Repeat after me: “It’s only temporary.” It’s important to remember that whatever stress you’re going through, it’s not going to last forever. So repeat after me: “It’s only temporary.” As bad as it is now, it’s just not possible for it to be this bad forever.
- Get some exercise. Whether you hit the gym or pound the pavement, it’s been shown that exercise can help ease stress. Even just a 20 minute workout is enough. You can take out all your aggressions on your workout. Let off some steam, as they say.
- Have a nice dinner. If you’ve got a special someone in your life, ring them up and ask them to take you to dinner. It doesn’t have to be fancy! If you’re single, go to dinner with your friends, or order in a pizza and eat it in all your alone glory. There’s no wrong way to do this. Yes, I am suggesting you treat yourself with food. Once in a while.
- Find a fun hobby. Do you knit? Bake? Make photo collages? Do those. Just get your mind off your stress for a little bit. Set a timer for special “fun time” and work on your favorite hobby. And if that favorite hobby is zoning out in front of the TV, that’s absolutely fine!
