We all have those days where absolutely everything is annoying — and sometimes those days last for weeks at a time. It happens. But the problem is that lashing out, freaking out, and trying to hide out aren’t always appropriate coping mechanisms when we have to be around other people. Here are some ways to chill out when everything is annoying you.
- Visualize things working out. Sounds cheesy, but visualization is a real technique that has been proven to improve athletic performance. Might as well put it to the test in your own life.
- Get productive. Some things are just out of our control, like the fact that the dress you ordered seems to be lost in the mail. What you can do is start looking for a different one instead of panicking and doing nothing.
- Literally chill out. When you’re overwhelmed to the max, sometimes saying no to social engagements and spending some quality solo time is all you need to reset your frazzled nerves.
- Focus on the things you can change. You probably don’t have the ability to make your boss stop making rude comments, but you can change your boundaries or accept that the comments have nothing to do with you anyway.
- Blame it on the hormones. Not every mood is caused by hormones, but some must be, right?
- Avoid lashing out. It’s hard to stop a snap from happening in the moment, but it usually makes things worse. Wait until you cool down to address issues that involve other people.
- Don’t make big decisions. When your mood is on the floor it can be tempting to try and change your life overnight but avoid making big decisions until you’ve thought them through.
- Focus on one thing at a time. When it rains it pours, and sometimes you’ve got a leaky roof. You can’t plug all the holes at once (or just by staring at them), but you can plug them one at a time and stop some of the drain.
- Sleep on it. Or meditate, or listen to calming music without lyrics. When the brain relaxes it gives our unconscious mind some time to come up with new and creative solutions to old problems.
- Get some perspective. Minor annoyances can be as terrible as anything, but if you really break down what’s driving you nuts you might be able to admit that it isn’t so serious after all.
- Dance around like an idiot. And make some weird noises while you’re at it. Acting like a complete goofball in the privacy of your own home is going to feel so weird that you’ll probably laugh, even if you’re trying not to.
- Consider the worst. Don’t sit and stew in it, but sometimes you can de-power what’s bugging you by realizing that the worst case scenario isn’t really that bad.
- Fast forward for a minute. Annoyances large and small always have an ending point, so try to remind yourself that things will get fun again.
- Remember that the world isn’t out to get you. Certain days, these annoyances wouldn’t even bother you, so don’t get carried away with how crappy everything seems to be at the moment.
- Watch reruns of your favorite show. Don’t even give Netflix a chance to annoy you by scanning through its suggestions – just stick with what you know and love.
- Just go with it. Life is full of ebbs and flows, and like it or not, that just never stops. As soon as you can really accept that there’s no single mountain to scale, you’ll be able to take some of the pressure off your ascent.
