Well hello there, friend. If you are reading this, I would assume that things are… not as great as they could be. Maybe that is because of things going on in your personal life – relationship stress, classes, family, etc. – or maybe that is because the world is kind of a shitty place right now.
One or two of these things can be manageable, but sometimes when it all piles up, it can be hard to find the point to anything. It can feel dark and lonely. Throughout my almost 21 years on this plane of existence I have been there many times, so I feel like I have a little bit of authority to give advice on what to do when everything just sucks.
If you are feeling this way for prolonged periods of time or feel you are in danger of hurting yourself, please seek professional advice or attention. This article is purely meant to lift spirits. Please check out the National Institute for Mental Health for more resources.
The first step when feeling overwhelmed is to literally make sure your brain is getting enough oxygen. Follow this gif and slow your breathing to match it. This will also help ground you to your surroundings and feel more calm.
Remember that dogs exist:
(I will admit I may have spent more time choosing which gif to put here than the total time I spent writing this article.) It is pretty much impossible to be upset while petting a dog, and if do not have access to a dog, watching compilations of dogs being adorable can often do the trick in a pinch. Yeah the world sucks – but the world also has dogs, which hopefully makes it suck about 1% less.
Talk to a friend:
Now, your friend is not your therapist, and I do not recommend coming to them with really serious issues and expecting them to solve them. That being said, friends are a great way to take your mind off of things and just have fun. Friends remind us that we are not alone in this world and that we have people who we can go through this messed up world with together.
Chocolate. Just Chocolate:
I say chocolate, but really I mean junk food of all kinds: French Fries, Oreos, doughnuts, ice cream, you name it. Sure bodily health is important, but occasionally having a treat can help with your mental health, which is just as important. I personally recommend potato chips covered in chocolate – salty and sweet, the best of both worlds.
Oh yeah, did I mention dogs? (And Parks and Rec:)
Yeah, dogs made the list twice. They are just that great. But also Parks and Rec is great! Of all the bingeable show options out there, I would say Parks and Rec is one of the most uplifting (especially when the weight of the suckiness seems to be coming from the government).
Take it one day at a time, and remember that sometimes the bad things are just louder than the good things. This quote from Doctor Who also always seems to help.