Disclaimer: This article does not discuss political atmospheres, judgements about others’ beliefs, or anything of the sort. If there is implied bias in the text that follows, it is purely by coincidence or as a result of the reader’s perspective. The sole purpose of this article is to help people reading it ground themselves in a world that is easily influenced and influenceable. The target audience of this article is everyone that is human and feels emotion.
There are a few questions to ask yourself when you are spiraling in any manner. It’s common to do so during the winter, when the wind nips at your nose and night takes its turn earlier to blanket the sky.
I’ve used the following questions and methods for myself. I like to stay busy – ask anyone who knows me. But I also know that I can’t do everything all the time. Sometimes, my stress gets the better of me without me realizing. These questions and methods help remind me that I’m human too.
- Is your current physical world small?
This was a piece of advice I found online, and it helped put into perspective something I hadn’t considered.
Your world being small can mean that you haven’t left your house in two days, or you’ve only been commuting between the same few places for a month.
Keeping the scope of the places you visit small limits the interactions you have, encouraging your body to turn on autopilot.
Routine is good, but automation is where it gets dangerous. Being intentional with where you travel day to day helps keep you grounded in the current moment. It helps you focus and gives your mind something solid to concentrate on.
If you become too familiar with your environment every day, the body tends to become numb, because you don’t have to think as much;you just put one foot in front of the other.
Interrupt the pattern, and you have a much better chance of remaining present within your day to day life.
- Are you consuming media only from the internet?
My mother always used to play Good Morning America while we got ready for school. Cartoons were only allowed on special occasions in the morning.
I asked her why she chose the news over anything else that could be more entertaining to watch, and she answered that it was good to keep informed about the world and stay aware of what goes on in places that we don’t live in.
I found it to be a wise piece of advice, though unfortunately, she forgot to inform me that it can be overwhelming at times. The most eye-catching news tends to be more negative than positive, and it’s hard to not feel defeated by the current state of things, especially when parts of the world feel closer than ever because of the internet.
If you feel suffocated at any point by updates about politics, news delivered by influencers on social media, or opinions brought on by auto-generated content, consider taking a step back for a while.
There is a very big difference between intentionally ignoring news that is disagreeable from your own beliefs and taking a break from consuming information from the internet that is designed to provoke a specific type of reaction.
Take time frequently to consume and explore physical media, especially media that has nothing to do with current affairs—a fiction novel, music from your favorite artist, or nature from your local walking trail.
It’s good to care about others and the state of the world—just don’t forget to care for yourself too.
- Are you spending too much time in your own thoughts?
I’m guilty of this one more often than not, if I’m being honest. I tend to let my thoughts fight with each other, and rather than making an organized list, my mind often ends up as a corkboard of overlapping photographs and tangled red threads, much like a scene from a Sherlock Holmes novel. To call the inside of my head a crime scene wouldn’t be an overstatement.
However, this state of mind only forms when I spend too much time trying to unravel the figurative bulletin board.
I like to think I’m self aware, but being on the extreme end of it can be harmful. Sometimes, I spend so much time analyzing my thoughts, with one falsely supporting another or one thought gaining too much bias and I end up being suffocated by them.
This is one of those times where purposely distracting yourself is useful. To get out of this state of mind, I like to immerse myself in another: people watching at a local cafe, watching a comfort TV show, etc. Contrasting forms of distraction work best, ones that involve physical movement rather than mental effort. People are on-the-go at an eatery, picking up their coffee or chatting happily with a friend. With a TV show, there is a plotline that pushes action, adventure, and decision. This is the logic behind most people liking running, because it helps to clear their heads.
Being stuck in your own thoughts reflects a static state, rather than a dynamic, moving one. Focusing on something physical can help you often sort out what’s inside your head by getting out of it—which leads us to our next question.
- Are you taking care of yourself, mentally and physically?
It might seem obvious, but for how much basic health is emphasized, I feel it’s still understated because many people neglect it—especially university students.
Lack of sleep, a poor diet, and minimum physical activity are more than likely among the biggest causes of why you feel lethargic or lacking energy.
It’s absolutely imperative that you do not compare your physical limits to anyone else. I say this adamantly because I am a morning person compared to nearly everyone else that I know. Many are night owls—staying up until dawn to complete work or just to enjoy some downtime. I am the complete opposite: I would rather sleep early, and wake up alongside the sun to go to the gym or have a slow, unrushed morning.
Sleep hugely affects my energy levels; I need at least 7 hours of sleep to function properly, but I know others who are able to operate off of much less. While it’s not objectively healthy, they’re able to do it much easier than I am should it come down to needing more time.
Every body is an anomaly, so don’t base what is an appropriate amount of sleep or a ‘good enough’ meal off of your friends whose lifestyles completely vary.
Find what your baseline is of “healthy,” and make sure to meet it at the very minimum.
After all, you can have 99 problems in life until you have a health problem; then you only have one problem.
The Alter Ego
The questions above have helped me define what exactly is causing me to feel under the weather. Though there’s one solution that has helped me significantly recently: adopting an alter ego.
Why pretend to be a different person to get the same stuff done?
Well, firstly, many celebrities do it! Marshall Mathers as Eminem and Slim Shady, Stefani Germanotta as Lady Gaga, David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, among many more.
Yes, they were technically stage names, but why create a stage name at all? For what purpose? Why not create rap music as Marshall?
In addition to it not being nearly as catchy, adopting another persona helped these celebrities embody the type of person that created the media they wanted to put out.
You can do the same with your own life. Any lifestyle change starts with a shift in identity first (anyone that’s gone the self-improvement rabbit hole knows what I’m talking about). The fastest way to become the type of person that goes to the gym regularly is to believe that you already are that type of person.
It’s the same idea with an alter ego, just as a bigger scope as an entire person. Take all the traits of your dream self or someone you look up to and format them into a person. It’s often hard to embody specific traits when we don’t believe ourselves capable of them. However, taking away your personal connection and stepping into someone else’s shoes can help bridge that gap.
Ignore people who call methods like this “cringe” or find it weird. If it helps with your health, then there is no harm in using it.
A couple of other methods that are worth an honorable mention: pretending your favorite fictional character is watching over you, helping to guide you, reminding yourself that your 8-year-old self is always inside of you to keep your childhood passions alive and pretending someone you don’t like is competing against you for the same thing (it’s amazing what spite can help you achieve!).
Life can feel heavy at times, but remember that there are ways to lighten the burden. Reach out if you need help, and always remember that your life is yours to have fun in.