Ahhh life. The one thing full of problems that we can’t seem to avoid. You can avoid that toxic ex but life always catches up and hits you like a car speeding down the highway. Can someone outmaneuver this said car and have a perfect life? Nope. That’s why we each have our different ways of getting through these things. Or what I like to call, hard coping. It’s the one way to be mentally sane without facing our problems head on. This is the main idea of escapism in modern society. We can spend hours on TikTok trying not to do that assignment due at midnight. Or start a conversation with a friend that we both know will never stop. This often doesn’t help the problem go away sadly but momentarily alleviates that feeling of stress or anxiety we experience throughout our days.

Finding ways to make sure your brain doesn’t overheat from stress, pressure, and anxiety is often very simple. Taking the things you already do in free time or for fun, it’s a foolproof method of preventing burnout and the heavy urge to break something in frustration (it’s happened once...)!! Personally, what I enjoy doing the most instead of homework or a project after a stressful day is watching anime. Now I know many have an unpopular opinion about this matter but just give it a chance!! The animation and plotlines of these stories drag you in and bring you to an entirely different world. (One I would recommend for those considering watching anime is Jujutsu Kaisen). Often, it distracts me from those common problems in life and maybe sometimes makes me procrastinate on assignments.

Another thing a lot of us do that doesn’t make us lag on our to-do list is listening to music. It can be the background noise we need to keep concentration, the thing we concentrate on when we’re feeling a strong emotion, or the thing that concentrates on us and provokes a certain feeling. My personal favorite genre is Rhythm & Beat as its mellow but upbeat vibe helps me concentrate as well as gives that little bit of energy we all need to push forward. Music is also a great way for someone to stay awake! It’s so versatile and with the hundreds of genres out there, I’m sure there’s something for everyone.

Socializing. I’m sure this is something everyone does. Hopefully. If not that’s perfectly fine! You do you and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s weird or unnatural. But socializing and talking to others is a great way to also relieve some stress. Just having a laugh with friends or not even talking but sitting there and listening to someone talk can make a huge difference on your mental. The person I probably go to the most to just have a conversation with is my girlfriend. Just talking about the events that happened that day, what’s on my mind, and how im just doing mentally helps a lot. It doesn’t have to be a significant other even. Best friend, family members, cousins, anyone you feel comfortable with. I go to my best friend sometimes too because even though I love her, I can’t stand her “your mom” jokes whenever I try to finish a sentence. It’s a breather from the daily trudge through life and I’m really glad to have these things. I do hope that everyone can find these little things in life that can make their time here a bit better.