keep calm
- or, how to conquer stress, anxiety, depression, and panic
sounds
rainymood
coffitivity
harry potter sounds on ambient mixer
meditate to sounds of nature on spotify
ocean escapes on spotify
lost in the forest on spotify
acoustic winter on spotify
indie acoustic >> chill on spotify
the stress buster on spotify
evening acoustic on spotify
your favourite coffeehouse on spotify
stress relief on spotify
spa treatment on spotify
northern winter town on spotify
a dreamy wind down on spotify
a different sleeping list on spotify
acoustic covers on spotify
the most beautiful songs in the world on spotify
deep dark indie on spotify
visual & interactive
laughter is super effective- try short comedy videos like clips from my fave comedian’s show, russell howard’s good news
a year in space- interactive website that teaches you about nasa astronaut scott kelly’s misson on the international space station. it’s broken down into episodes, which makes it easily manageable
journey to the centre of the earth- an interactive guide to what’s under the earth’s crust. you might learn something too!
patatap- create audiovisual symphonies using your keyboard
flame painter- create drawings with flames
beans- mousepad, meet a tin of beans
bio-bak- complete tasks on this weird but cool interactive platform
orisinal- beautiful and calming games, with an instrumental soundtrack (try “the way home”)
openpuppies - every time you open this website, you get to see a different puppy gif. it’s cute!
earthcam- a bunch of different live webcams such as times square, giant pandas, and even the northern lights in canada.
open sea cam- similar to earthcam, but this is the live feed for the monterey bay aquarium.
food & drink
5 minute chocolate cake
5 minute bread pudding for one
4 minute chocolate mousse
nectarine smoothie
5 minute breakfast rice
homemade potato chips
22 desserts you can make in 5 minutes
skinny homemade hummus
10 5 minute vegan meals
5 lunches in 5 minutes or less
52 DIY herbal tea recipes
how to make iced tea
perfect iced coffee
creamy hot cocoa
cocoa with homemade vegan nutella
23 delicious mocktails
tips
if you’re stressed out in a crowd, sing to yourself quietly. the familiarity of the song is comforting; the action of singing will help distract you. singing will help keep you anchored to yourself in chaotic situations.
you could also use a visual anchor throughout the day to keep you grounded, such as looking up at the clouds or even out of the window if you’re inside all day.
similarly, try doing an action with rhythm, such as clenching your fists and letting them go when you feel overwhelmed- the regularity will help soothe you.
try breathing techniques, such as these six techniques by TIME magazine.
remember that alcohol and caffeine can aggravate stress & panic and anxiety problems you might already have had. consider examining your habits and regulating these if you feel like they might be making things worse
make time in your day for a “worry period”: set a time each day (not just before bed, as it might affect your sleep) to sit down and think about everything that’s worrying you. if you feel overwhelmed during the day, make a note of it and save it for your worry period- then when the time comes, you can sit down and address everything on the list. the rest of the day is a worry-free zone.
the 2 minute rule- if something that’s bothering you is solvable and will take 2 minutes or less to do, then do it now. it might take an effort to start, but once you’ve finished, you won’t need to worry about it again.
however, don’t be too hard on yourself if you started a task and you can’t finish it. it’s better to do things incrementally (i.e. bit by bit) than stress yourself out trying to do a huge thing in one go.
remember that thinking about what could go wrong isn’t going to make the situation any better. life isn’t predictable- just change what you can.
challenge your thoughts- “is this thought rational? what’s causing it? where’s the solid evidence that this is the truth? how will worrying about this help me in the long run?” and lastly, “how can i look at this in a more positive or optimistic way?”
it may help to picture yourself floating in water. picture your worries floating past in the water, and as they pass, acknowledge them and then move on. don’t react or judge them- this is also called the movie technique, where you picture your life on a movie screen.
however, when you feel completely overwhelmed, it might be best just to distract yourself- get out of your own head! don’t think about the big picture. read a book instead, do a household task, have a bath, play with a pet…
one thing you can have control over is yourself- take a shower if you need one, drink a glass of water, do your hair (even if it’s just a messy bun), have a piece of fruit or try one of the quick recipes above.
“walk and talk therapy” can be super helpful- if you can find someone to talk to, ask them to take a wander with you. the act of walking can promote deeper and more creative ways of thinking due to the mood-boosting endorphins released when you do any physical exercise- and it’s almost as though you’re becoming physically “unstuck”, walking away from your problems.
don’t worry too much about what other people think of you- we really don’t notice as much about other people as we think. and even if something does happen, people are sympathetic and will understand. they’ve most likely been through it too!
try journalling- write down all your negative thoughts. once it’s on the page, it’s left your head. this really works!
make the phone call. send the text. write the email. don’t stress over what you’re saying, just shia labeouf it.
you can always try to fit natural mood boosters into your diet- such as nuts, soya products e.g. milk and yogurt, dark green leafy veg, dark orange vegetables, broth/ soups, legumes, citrus, wheatgerm, tart cherries, and berries. bananas are also an all-round super food, and while it’s been disproved that they can flat-out cure things like depression, they’re definitely recommended as a natural sugar, and good for energy.
lastly, try a personal mantra to get you through:
it’s always darkest just before dawn.
i am the rock that the sea breaks against.
may i be happy, healthy, and free from pain.
i’ve conquered this before and i’ll do it again.
i am strong. i am worthy. i am enough.
i allow and i trust.
it’s never too late to start my day over.
tomorrow is another day. (margaret mitchell)
feel the fear and do it anyway. (susan jeffers)
action conquers fear. (peter nivio zarlenga)
in the world through which i travel, i am endlessly creating myself. (franz fanon)
excellence does not require perfection. (henry james)
it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. (e.e. cummings)
our greatest glory is not in ever falling, but in rising every time we fall. (confucius)
i hope you find the courage to get through whatever life throws at you today.
and finally, take molly weasley’s advice- there’s nothing you can’t fix with a good cup of tea!
