Keep On Hangin' On...

We've all been there. Work is piling up, deadlines are coming, errands to run, the bag of salad you purchased is starting to look dodgy and you don't even remember your last shower.

I like to think of myself as something of a pro at handling stress. I have no qualifications to back up my dubious title but there are plenty of others on the Internet with even less expertise than me, so I figure I might as well chime in. 

1. Get Help. If you think you aren't coping well and find yourself unable to deal then please don't suffer in silence! Talk it out. Call a friend, your grandmother, your dad, call your plumber if you have to. Just stop being a hero. If you are really struggling go to your doctor, if your anxiety is preventing you from being productive you might benefit from pharmacological or psychological intervention. 
2. Work Hard, Play Hard. Not just a motto for vanilla OkCupid profiles anymore, guys! When you need to work just put your head down and do it. Learn to recognize the need for a break. There's nothing worse than sitting down to work and 4 hours later finding yourself deep in a Wikipedia k-hole reading about the plight of Aboriginals in colonial Australia (not that that's ever happened to me...). If you need a break just acknowledge it and unplug completely. For me that means walking away from my computer, putting down my cell phone, and reading something by Jilly Cooper. If I don't disconnect completely my brain won't recharge and then I'm vulnerable to distraction again. Other options for disconnecting that are slightly less fun but pretty emotionally rewarding are doing laundry, tidying the kitchen, or throwing away all that nasty-ass food you bought when you vowed to be healthy last week which has now gone off because you keep eating cereal for dinner instead. It'll only take about 10 minutes but it's surprisingly more meditative and easier than actually learning to meditate. Note to self: must learn to meditate. 
   
3. Exercise Exercise Exercise. Ugh I know, how obnoxious am I? Look, we all hate exercising. People who claim to love it are lying to themselves and to each other. But the endorphin high afterward and the pure sensory pleasure of a well-deserved shower makes it totally worthwhile. It's hard to find the time to work out, especially when you're being pulled a million directions. Lately I am relying on a Pilates DVD (mine is by Gaiam and it's only okay so I won't link you to it, lest you find the instructor's voice grating and then question my taste forevermore). I also get a kick out of doing 15 minute HIIT sessions on my balcony. I pick three or four tough exercises (burpees, squat jumps, pushups... anything that sucks) and then do a 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off routine in a circuit. By the fifth circuit I'm completely spent and I always wake up the next day satisfyingly sore. The HIIT routine really saves me on days when I just can't drive forty minutes round trip to the gym plus work out for an hour. It also serves as a nice break from work while still feeling productive. 
4. Don't Be "That Guy." You know who I mean. The guy who works all day then collapses into bed at night for days and weeks and months on end, before eventually waking up at age 60 ready for his nervous breakdown. Put something between work and sleep. It can be exercise if that's your thing, or cooking, or home brewing, or reading. I am reluctant to use the word "hobby" because it conjures up images of crappy DIY Pinterest fails, but cultivating an interest outside of work will not only prolong your life but can give you something tangible to link you to the world. Working or studying nonstop can be very isolating so finding a hobby you can share with others (even if the "others" are just YouTube people) will keep you grounded and give you some perspective. 
5. Indulge. Whatever that means to you, now is the time to do it. In general I try to limit my intake of sweets to the weekends but today an almighty migraine was looming around 2 pm. My friend texted asking if I felt like running out for coffee at that exact moment and I gratefully accepted. I entered the cafe planning to order a sensible black Americano but felt the siren call of the pastry cabinet. The tempting array of muffins, cakes, and tarts called to me. "You want us, Caitlin. You need us. Get outside us." I gave in. I ordered the Maple Pecan Bar and savored every delicious bite. I certainly won't be making a habit of afternoon pastry time and I confess that I felt a brief twinge as I considered the number of burpees it would take to work it off. Within moments, though, I found myself not caring as my teeth sank into the chocolate-y, maple nectar of the Gods. Other indulgences include the nights I treat myself to an extra-long shower or spend five extra minutes in the morning to actually style my hair instead of sighing and putting it in a ponytail. Those brief moments of self-care rapidly become the best part of my week and I thank my sun and stars that I still feel alive and human. 
6. For God's Sake, Take A Shower. Showers take 10 minutes. Just do it. You're losing friends. 
7. Indulge (again!). You know what comes with stress? Rage. Road rage. Roommate rage. Frustration. Anger. Don't bottle it in, that will give you wrinkles. Instead just allow yourself to get mad. Try not to get mad verbally towards your loved ones, but by all means take twenty minutes to beat the shit out of a punching bag or a piece of hanging meat. It'll make you feel better and you may surprise yourself how much aggression you're holding onto. I love the high that comes after a good boxing training session; I leave the gym with excessive swagger and pray that someone, anyone, will attack me so I can practice my new moves on them. 

Rocky Balboa ain't got nothing on me

Perhaps just as important as a list of things to do is a list of things to avoid. Everyone has different ways of procrastinating and different websites that keep them distracted. If you use Chrome definitely install the extension called Stay Focused. It blocks all the fun websites during working hours that you set and prevents you from whiling away the hours looking at pictures of cats. I also avoid reading anything too navel-gazing or depressing when I'm stressed, I feel like the misery of others makes me emotionally labile and generally droopy.

I think I'll leave the list at 7 because 7 is the most magical number and I find myself growing tired. I started this post expecting to write a lot about the benefits of lavender essential oils etc. but found the words taking me in a completely different direction. I'm sorry for anyone who suffers from tension headaches who came here looking for a cure. Try playing Jimmy Buffett songs and wearing shorts in your house so you can pretend you're wasting away in Margaritaville, I guess.

What are your stress-busting tips? 

Catch you on the flip-flop,

xo Caitlin