Life, much like a film, is a series of events with peaks and valleys. Some moments are climactic, in which the main character saves the day, gets the girl and gladly accepts the key to the city, but other moments are consumed with stress and obstacles that can drive a man to the edge. It’s in these moments when the n
erves need a little tension relief, a way to avert your attention and regain composure. So how can a guy calm his nerves? Here are some suggestions.
Put It In Park
Most people think it’s natural to have a constant stream of thoughts, one anxiety after another. Once one problem is solved, it’s onto the next. Usually it’s a laundry list of champagne problems that no one should deal with at all. Was I charged twice for these grapes? Why does time move so quickly? Am I too old for skinny jeans?
With the constant news feed of stress-inducing questions and not enough hobbies to fill the time constructively, worries on top of worries build into an almost opaque wall of negativity and frustration, one built on false truths made up in your sick head. Clear out the stresses that are not real problems and then deal with the real troubles at the opportune time. And yes, you’re probably too old for skinny jeans, but wear them anyway, if you like.
Hold That Thought
It’s not every moment we have flashes of clarity in our congested minds, where traffic and sidewalks littered with dog doo are gone – figuratively speaking – leaving a trail free of build-ups with clear access to the appropriate paths to take. It’s for that very reason why it’s best to take your best thoughts home with you, on paper, a napkin or the palm of your hand. Having moments of clarity is like an inspired dream, where upon waking we only call to mind fuzzy recollections and lost translations. And just like having a notepad by your bedside, it’s good to carry pen and paper on your person to remind yourself just how clever you once were in hopes of finding your way back there.
Even if you awake the next morning or arrive home from your journey to read your note and think “good lord, whoever wrote this is a sick, illiterate fool,” at least you gave it a shot.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, or the Big
You hear it all the time: the constant reminder that life’s too short, unpredictable and exciting to worry about every waking detail. People say it’s best to let chips fall where they may, letting the big events control the smaller ones, and as long as you keep a tight ship with the big things, you’ll be fine. But why not let the big things happen of their own fruition, as well? Instead of actively seeking the things you desire, why not let good things come your way? Sure, initiative and common sense are needed from time to time, but by standing back and looking at the bigger picture, other unseen possibilities project themselves your way, rather than being closed off to the things you want right now. You don’t know w
hat you need, but there’s a way to find out.
Find New Music, or Make It
Music has the power to both push our best thoughts forward and pull back stress. Although everyone’s favorite brand of music is different, we’re all attached to it in the same way. It’s hard to find somebody who doesn’t respond to any music at all; in fact, that’s nearly impossible as music has a very loose terminology. If the fires of stress are burning at your door, isolate yourself from a situation that cannot be solved immediately and find solace in its harmony, especially new music that might open new perspectives to an older dilemma.
Making your own music is possibly one of the most stress relieving things a person can do, where sounds and progressions come together like waves in the sea, eventually bringing you back to shore in order to regain poise and start anew.
Go With Your Gut
Your intuition is sometimes all you have, so don’t ignore it when you reach a moment of plight. Dive within yourself, but get out of your head, and let the truth rise up. Forget all the noise that stands outside your window. You can let it in if you like, but don’t sell yourself on the fictions others have for you. With every difficult decision, we have to choose something that will sit well with us for the long haul, not some momentary pleasure, so do what you know in your gut is best, even when it’s a horse-sized pill to swallow. When you live with conviction, you rise to the occasion more honestly and without fear, as opposed to squeamishly living in a self-centered world where you care about one thing only: yourself. Other than perks of music, meditation is one of the only things that can get you out of your mind and into a more nourishing mental environment, bringing light to questions that seem a little too dark to handle.
Keep It Simple
Instead of bruising your ego or traumatizing your mind, keep it simple and you’ll have less to contend with. Just like not sweating the little stuff, living simply offers less stress when there’s less to control, keep up and consume. People who live alone in mansions with guesthouses, ride around on big boats and have more Tinder girlfriends than they can count are only making things more difficult for themselves. Evaluate your life and the stuff you don’t need, and adjust to make things easier.
When you feel the load getting too heavy, the space around you getting too small, it’s a sign for a little needed house cleaning. For every stack of partially discarded effects that isn’t let go of, there’s a proportionate influx in your stress level. Take away the clutter and away goes your tension.
Call Your Mother
If all else fails, there’s one fail-safe: mother dearest. The woman who brought your sorry ass into this world and raised you into a blossoming flower is also the woman who knows what’s best for you, and probably always will. Even if you’ve somehow managed to age gracefully, she’ll still know better than you. With kicking and screaming at her disapproval of our life choices, declaring she’s insufferable and lives in vanquished times, she somehow stands apart from every crazy woman we’ve ever met. Not only is she more supportive than you know, but probably right on the money. In time, you’ll find that out. Until then, you’ll just have to trust she has your best at heart. She has to, because she’s afraid you’ll put her in a home if not.
