There’s too much pressure these days. Politics. Opinions. Division. You’re bombarded 24/7 whether you like it or not. Between feeling anxious to the point where you can’t breathe fully, jaw-clenching anger, and exhaustion that seeps into your bones… it sucks. But guess what — this article isn’t about who’s right or wrong, liberal or conservative. This is about you. Keeping your sanity and your quality of life from plummeting to new lows because, lord knows, none of us signed up for this.
Much love if your mood swings look like a Tesla coil these days.
Sure, we can deal with stress every now and then. Hell, we’re used to it. But the sheer amount of unrelenting stress these days is freaking a lot of us out. I know it did me. My husband woke up about a year ago feeling helpless because the world was spinning so fast and we were stressed about everything.
Let me tell you something about stress… it will ruin your life if you let it. Don’t.
The Bottle
There’s this method of making meth called “shake and bake.” People take some ingredients, pour them into a bottle with a cap, and shake it. Literally. If you don’t “burp” the bottle every five minutes or so, it explodes. It builds up so much pressure that when it’s gone too long, boom.
The stress we’re under feels a lot like that bottle. We wake up and start shaking it. The news. Phone calls with friends or family. Social media. Things we see on Facebook or Instagram. Things our neighbors say. Work. Things we hear on the radio.
Before you know it, you feel pressure building up in your chest. In your head. In your gut. You want to burp the bottle but you don’t know how. You know you should, but what if you let it go and it still explodes?
That was my husband about a year ago. He would wake up every morning and get anxiety just thinking about watching the news. Literally. Every morning.
News = anxiety.
News = inability to sleep.
News = destruction of his mood for the rest of the day.
He felt helpless. Like there was literally nothing he could do about it.
One day, his therapist simply said to him, “If watching the news makes you feel horrible, then maybe you shouldn’t watch the news.”
Mind blown. That’s it? Something so simple that I know we all know — but HOW HARD can we actually do it?
I understand, friend. We know that someday none of this will matter. Ever try living that by telling your anxiety and high-strung stress self that, though? It’s not easy. Trust me, I get it.
And when we let that bottle explode, it pours everywhere. We’re short with our spouses. We yell at our kids. We jump out of our skin with disappointment over things that normally wouldn’t even phase us.
Who knows how many times I exploded on my husband or kids this year alone? Stress can ruin your health, relationships, and peace of mind if you let it. Don’t.
Now, for those of you keeping track at home, burping the bottle isn’t a one-time fix. It’s something you’ll have to do all day, every day. You have to be constantly checking in with yourself to make sure your bottle isn’t about to explode.
Take a deep breath with me. In… and out. Feel your feet on the ground. Feel the chair you’re sitting in. Feel your body move as you breathe deeply in… and out again.
That’s it. That, right there, is burping your bottle. It’s small, but it’s there.
And as little as those minutes may feel, they help tremendously if you take them.
Hopefully, you’re feeling a little better already.
But what if we tried some outside-the-box methods to keep our bottles closed? I’m not talking deep breaths or meditating (although, TBH, if you can do that — YOU ARE WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME). I’m talking about unconventional methods to help keep your sanity intact.
Don’t worry. We’ll get to the meditation and yoga stuff later. You need some weird shit first. Ready? Let’s play!
8 Strange But TRUE Ways to Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety
#1: Turn off the news.
Let’s kick this list off with an obvious one. Delete the News app. Turn off the TV when you hear the news is on. If you’re watching something and there’s a breaking news alert, GO TO THE GODDAMN FREAKING RESTROOM until they’re done. Seriously. The news is destroying our ability to function sometimes because nearly every story is 100% bad. No positives, no kids succeeding in school stories. If you want to keep up with the news, find a weekly news podcast you can listen to while driving or cleaning house. Limit your news intake to 30 minutes a day if you have to.
#2: Journal… backwards!
Ok, so typically journaling can sometimes make you focus more on how you’re feeling, which can spiral you into deeper anxiety. So instead of writing how you feel, take a piece of paper and write a letter to your future self. Tell them how you want them to feel. Think of things that will be better about the future. Write about how you know everything will work out even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.
Want to let some steam off? Write the biggest, rudest satire piece about the news, something that made you afraid, or something crazy that someone said. WRITE HOW YOU WANT TO SCREAM — but be constructive with it! Then take that paper and shred it. Rip it up. Burn it. Throw it in the toilet and flush it. Once that paper leaves your hands, let it go.
#3: Dance like no one’s watching… or laugh like everyone can hear you.
Seriously. Laughter yoga is a thing. Google it. Endorphins are YOUR FRIENDS when trying to manage stress and anxiety.
#4: Talk to your plants.
Hear me out on this one. When you’re feeling stressed or anxious, one of the best ways to calm your mind is to VERBALIZE what you’re feeling. But we don’t always want to worry about someone judging us or telling us everything will be fine when we know it won’t. So grab your plants, animals, or that cute coffee mug and spill your heart out to them! It helps more than you know.
#5: Take a minute, then take another.
Set a timer on your phone every hour to take 60 seconds and burp your bottle. Feel your feet on the ground. Look around you and name five things you see. Take three deep breaths and simply breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. One-minute breaks throughout your day can help reduce anxiety and calm your mind.
Check out this article for more mindfulness exercises you can do anywhere.
With anything in life, moderation is key. You can’t fix everything at once. You can, however, choose yourself every chance you get. Try one of these things each day when you feel overwhelmed and build from there.
Letting Go
We can’t control everything that happens to us. But we can control how we react to it. The problem? So much stuff has happened that it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some tips that might help you let go of the things you can’t control:
Identify what you can’t control. Make a list if you have to. Watch or read the news if you have to. But you do not have to subject yourself to it every day. We live in a world where you can turn off your newsfeed on social media. TURN IT OFF.
Stop holding on. Literally write down everything that’s stressing you out that you can’t control and then CLOSE THE FREAKING BOX. Don’t look at it for a week. A month. Go write in a happy journal instead!
Focus on what you can control. You can control how you treat others. You can control what you eat. You can control the words you say to yourself. Don’t have enough money to pay all your bills? You can control how you budget what you do have. Stop focusing on what you can’t control, and start controlling what you can.
Control is a mindset. Habits you create based on decisions you make every day.
If You’re Struggling
If you or someone you know is struggling to manage their stress and anxiety, consider seeking help from a professional. Stress isn’t abnormal. Neither is anxiety. But if you constantly feel on edge or have trouble sleeping because your mind won’t turn off — please reach out to someone. You are worthy of support. You are worthy of happiness. Therapy isn’t weak. Asking for help isn’t needy. You are the ONLY one holding yourself back from being the best you that you can be.
Remember… I got you.
Lastly
I want you to imagine for a second. Imagine waking up tomorrow and that tightness in your chest isn’t so tight. You read the news or turned on the TV and didn’t feel sick to your stomach. You talked to that friend or family member and it didn’t feel like an argument.
Where does that thought process take you? Happiness? Calm? Relaxation? That’s what we’re aiming for. Peace of mind.
I want you to realize that you aren’t the only one feeling this way. We all have our good days and bad days, but hoping and praying for the good days to come more often will not fix the problem.
I want you to realize that it’s OK to not have all the answers. You don’t need to fix everything that’s wrong. You just have to wake up tomorrow and choose yourself today.
Remember, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can ALWAYS control how you react to it. (Insert weird Plants vs. Zombies joke here.)
Pushing forward means different things for different people. Progress is progress, no matter how small you think it may be.
Take care of you, my friends. You deserve it.
Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or mental health, please reach out to someone. Please. Here are some places that can help until you can get the proper support:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (free, text-based support 24/7)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America: adaa.org
Mental Health America: mhanational.org
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
https://www.findtherapy.com/
(BetterHelp & Talkspace — online therapy)
Check your local community mental health center; many offer FREE services or sliding scale fees.
Search “stress management” or “anxiety” groups on Facebook for online support.
Search “mindfulness” or “breathing exercises” apps on iTunes/Google Play for free tools to calm your mind.
This piece brings crucial points, and I am glad you are sharing this.
“Much love if your mood swings look like a Tesla coil these days.”
felt seen immediately. this reads like a calm hand on the back and permission to stop doom-scrolling like it’s a civic duty. practical, human, and oddly comforting in the way only someone who’s been there can pull off.