Whether it’s the stress of midterm season, the heap of dirty laundry you still need to do or life in general that’s got you feeling like you’re on the verge of burning out — the Clog’s got you covered. Emotional breakdowns are more common than you think. They tend to occur when we’ve hit our absolute breaking point. It sucks, point blank. No one wants to feel like Atlas holding up the entire world on their shoulders. Yet crying in your car for ten minute intervals isn’t always the best way to make yourself feel better. Here are five ways to regroup after an emotional breakdown to get you back to feeling like yourself.
- Indulge in self care
Hearing the words “self care” may bring up images of an array of clay masks and cucumber eye patches, which isn’t all that wrong, but the term goes far beyond just that. Self-care can look different for everyone, but usually includes any physical and mental activities done to take care of oneself. Maybe that’s going to the gym, taking a walk outside, listening to music, doing your nails, practicing meditation, baking a new recipe or taking a long bath. The point is, there is a wide variety of activities that you can do to recenter yourself and show yourself some love.
- Be kind to yourself
This might be the hardest one on the list yet it’s probably the most effective. I myself struggle with being kind to myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed. The first person we often target when things get chaotic is ourselves. If you sit and think about it for a minute, it’s a sad but true fact that we are our harshest critics. When I start to place the blame on myself for not being where I want to be–workwise, lifewise, healthwise—I remind myself that I am human. It’s normal for me to make mistakes, fall behind, be clueless and need a moment to hit the pause button. It’s important to be aware that you are trying your best– so be kind to yourself!
- Talk it out
When I have emotional breakdowns, I find it therapeutic to talk to someone I can trust. I usually refer back to my family but hey, your pet goldfish would also make a great listener. Your mind can be a scary place when it gets overheated — saying everything out loud can put things in an entirely different perspective. When I call my dad bawling because of how stressed I am, his favorite saying is “No te ahogues en un vaso de agua”, which translates to “Don’t drown in a cup of water.” Your problems may seem larger than life at the moment, but remember that there’s a sea outside of the cup you’re in. Don’t sweat the small stuff, you got this!
- Divide and conquer
We may not be planning a siege attack on another kingdom but this mindset is extremely effective. When tackling the monstrosity of things you have to get done by a certain deadline, the best strategy is to divide and conquer. Dividing your workload into bite sized pieces makes things look a lot less frightening and more doable. I personally like to write everything I have to get done on a post-it note, which also keeps me organized. The best part? Crossing off things from the list makes me feel like I’m getting my life back on track.
- Get Creative
Doing something creative is a great way to feed the soul. The arts provide a healthy outlet for self expression and to exercise your mind. I just recently got into painting (which I’m not really good at) and found it to be super enjoyable and relaxing. Mixing colors on a canvas and getting paint splatters on yourself brings back memories of finger painting in grade school. What better way to re-group than connecting with your inner child?
Being thrown around by your emotions can feel like you aren’t in control of yourself. Developing new ways to approach emotional breakdowns can make them a lot less draining and more manageable. The Clog wishes you a smooth journey bouncing back to your old, true self!
