A Guide to Staying Calm
We’re all going through unprescendented times. Here’s a list of things to do when you need a break from the world:
- Take a nap. Go to bed earlier than usual. Your body needs rest. We’re all going through collective trauma.
- Have you been sitting for a while? We are not supposed to sit for more than 20 minutes at a time. Stand up, stretch, take a walk.
- Skip one call. Reschedule it, cancel it, or ignore it. You will be fine.
- Do you have a plant? Take care of it. Hold it up to the sunlight and look at its leaves. Prune it if you need to and make sure there are no parasites.
- Listen to the music you loved when you were younger. The angsty stuff from your teenage years, especially that. What song did you cry to after your first heartbreak? What song would make you feel self-conscious if you played it in front of your friends? Listen to it, all of it. It’s good music.
- Write down everything that is frustrating you. Everything that makes you afraid. Everything that makes you feel panicked and helpless. Even the little things. Scribble. Slash. Go outside the lines. When you’re done, destroy the pages.
- Clean your floor. Lie down on it. Stare at the ceiling. Focus on the feeling of the floor against your back. Breathe ten times and focus on the rise and fall of your chest. Breathe.
- Think about three things that you are grateful for. Don’t write them down. Hold them in your head for as long as you can.
This too shall pass. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay calm.