8 Stupidly Simple Ways To Unwind When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

By January Nelson

1. Cancel plans without feeling guilty about it. Call out of work. Reschedule plans with your friends. Give family members a rain check. Don’t feel guilty about doing what’s necessary for your own mental health. You have sick days and vacation days for a reason. You’re allowed to use them. And if you’re canceling on your friends or family members, they’ll understand. They would rather have you feeling safe, stable, and happy than force you into a situation where you feel uncomfortable.

2. Rewatch a show that brings you comfort. Turn on a streaming platform and rewatch your favorite show. Rewatch scenes that makes you feel all fuzzy inside. Rewatch characters that feel more like friends than actors. It’s okay if your mind wanders or if you fall fast asleep because you’ve seen the episode before. It’s simply a way to relax you, to reassure you everything is going to be okay.

3. Get underneath the covers and touch yourself. Orgasming releases a surge of dopamine (which is commonly referred to as a pleasure chemical). To put it simply, touching yourself will relax you. It will make you happier. It might even make a headache or stomachache go away. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you might as well climb into bed and see what happens.

4. Spend some time in nature. Even if you are unable to go to the beach or walk through the park, you can at least take your dog for a stroll around your neighborhood. Or sit in the grass in your own backyard. Try to spend a little bit of time under the sun, away from a screen. Remind yourself to slow down and take a look at the sights because there is beauty all around you.

5. Engage in a playful activity. Do something fun, something creative, something that will make you feel relaxed and carefree. Try painting. Drawing. Singing. Dancing. Crocheting. Just remember, you can’t worry about whether or not you’re good at what you’re doing. The point isn’t to create a masterpiece. The point is to enjoy yourself, to get lost in an activity that brings you joy..

6. Allow yourself to indulge, to splurge, to pamper yourself. Have a glass of wine. Have a slice of cake. Do something nice for yourself. After all, you’re always running around, trying to take care of other people. It’s time you take care of yourself for a change. It’s time you put effort into your own happiness.

7. Catch up on sleep. You need sleep in order to function. You need to keep yourself well rested so your mind will remain sharp. If you haven’t gotten much sleep lately, then give yourself the chance to get to bed early tonight. Or at least set aside time to take a nap in the middle of the day. Either way, you need to stop equating sleeping with laziness, because you literally need to sleep in order to survive.

8. Talk to someone. Therapy shouldn’t be your last option when you feel like you’re on the edge of a breakdown. It’s something you should consider, even when you’re doing well, even when you feel like you have your life together. Everyone can benefit from talking to someone.