Feeling overwhelmed has sadly become a very familiar feeling in the ‘Lori Cinematic Universe.’ Whether it’s stress, anxiety, or sadness, it’s like my feelings are always working overtime. I have found things that work for me and have helped slow down everything. These things will help ease my brain, no matter what is going on in my life.
Roller Skating Baby!
I genuinely don’t know why this helps me so much. My friends always tell me that working out helps them. However, I can only make it 10 minutes at the gym, and then I’m tired. Roller Skating is my alternative because it does require physical activity, but it’s a lot easier, and I can handle it. The increase in endorphins helps our mood and calms down nerves. When I’m skating, I’m too focused on not falling and making sure I’m not running into anyone that I forget about what’s causing me problems. When I’m done rollerskating, my brain had enough of a break where I can come back to the problem and reevaluate with a more calm mindset. My favorite place to go in San Antonio is the Rollecade by the Quarry. They do follow COVID-19 regulations, and if you go on weekdays, it’s slow, so one doesn’t have to worry about crowds.
Plant Mom
I’ve always enjoyed nature, and growing up, I really wanted to have a garden, but it wasn’t something we could do. When I moved into the dorms last year, I knew my space was limited, but I got enough plants to cover my window. This year, I live in an apartment, and I have basically turned it into a greenhouse. It’s a common fact in our apartment that whenever I’m feeling a little off or I’m just having a bad day, I sit down in the living room and just water and trim my plants while blasting Taylor Swift. The amount of times one of my roommates has walked in, and it’s just me singing ‘All Too Well’ by Taylor Swift while trimming the leaves of my pothos plant. It’s a very calming experience to care for plants because it’s a very tedious process, and it distracts from overwhelming thoughts. Usually, when I’m feeling very anxious, I have difficulty keeping up with how fast my brain is going, leading me to have anxiety attacks. If I sit down and focus on something else, especially a hobby of mine and something I have to do anyways, it helps a lot.
Comfort Show!
There’s nothing like a good show that helps me when I’m feeling anxious. I like to believe that we can learn from watching shows or movies. Sometimes the characters might be going through a similar thing, and how they handle it can help you in your life. Relating to characters also might help to know that we are not alone. Yes, it might be fiction, but someone wrote that character and got inspiration from somewhere. There might be people who watch that show/movie who might resonate with it as well.
Some of my favorite shows and movies to watch are:
- Harry Potter Series
- Marvel Movies
- New Girl
- Degrassi (100% my guilty pleasure)
Friends! Ice Cream!
Most times we want to be alone whenever we are going through stuff because we don’t want to bother people with what we have going on. I am guilty of wanting to shut everyone out because I’m scared that if my friends see me upset, they wouldn’t want to be around me anymore. It’s hard to switch that mindset, but I’ve been very fortunate to have great people in my life to remind me that they are there for me if I ever need it. That you aren’t a burden for talking about serious stuff. Leading to one of the things I now do when I’m sad. I live with three of my best friends, so something that helps me is getting ice cream and talking to them. It doesn’t have to be about what’s bothering me necessarily. It can just be reminiscing on things to remind me of happier times, which reassures me that happy days do happen, and bad days don’t define my whole life.
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It’s very easy to get lost in our thoughts. Not like you forget a thought, but having so many that you don’t know what to do anymore. It’s important to try your best to take a deep breath and do something to get you in a different headspace. It can be anything that can bring you any sense of peace. Please, remember that it’s good to find things to distract you healthily but not completely avoid what’s causing those feelings.