What do you do when life feels relentless?

[Pickled0nion]

I am feeling frazzled and fragile today. Everything is just so fucking relentless at the moment. Work, study, fucking cleaning the fucking house, friends, boyfriend, gym, eating healthy... I feel as though all of the plates are falling from their spinning sticks and shattering on the floor.

I have so much to do and all I want to do is go back to bed and hide under the covers. With Netflix and chocolate.

How you parents do it, I'll never know.

If you DO go back to bed and watch Netflix, I highly recommend The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

Oh, no, I tried that Vanguard and couldn't get on with it. Very strange film.

I just want to cry but then I don't because it won't solve anything anyway.

The honest answer is cry and pity myself (poor single mum etc etc). However the things that do perk me up are: friends, exciting music, and above all humour - I really think we have developed the capacity to laugh as a counter-balance to the stress that comes with having such big brains.

In a fit of hysterical laughter, the daily niggles of life seem so much smaller.

Sod it all off, and go and do something you want to do rather than what you feel you have to do, whether that’s read a book, go for a run, eat something naughty. It might make the rest seem more bearable!

I can also recommend flirting with unsuitable young men.

Also on a more sensible note, going for a run makes me feel on top of the world.

I feel like I don't have time to do any of those things :(

I despise this time of year. Everything is so grey, shit weather, Xmas is a dim and distant memory, summer and holidays feel like a lifetime away. As a result we’ve just booked 3 days away without the kids for March, at least I’ve something to look forward to

I go out somewhere for a coffee and read my book. Somehow being amongst people makes me feel part of the world again and not so isolated and introspective.

I used to think it sounded all wanky and woo, but I've found meditation and yoga amazing for soothing my anxiety when I feel overwhelmed with life. Just taking half an hour to yourself to tune in with your body and tune out all the crap from day to day life is really useful. The headspace app free trial is great, as is yoga with Adrienne on YouTube.

I feel the same OP. Every day is pretty much the same. Everything feels boring and mundane. I just want to forget everything I need to do, lie in my jammies and watch Netflix. Either that or get to the nearest airport and piss off travelling for three months (if only)

I write a timetable like we used to have at school and try to be realistic about how long things will take to do. Schedule in time to work, time to tidy/clean, time to cook a healthy dinner or whatever, and (most importantly) time to relax/binge Netflix. I only schedule my life like this when I'm feeling so overwhelmed that I can't focus on any one thing, but it really does help.

That makes me sound so boring, but I promise it's just a tool for exceptionally busy times and the weight of jobs to do is too much!

Suck it up! That sounds harsh but no one else will start those plates spinning again for me or sweep up the pieces if they crash to the floor... so I just plod on!

Thank you lovely people - I have to use my toolkit of tried and tested methods don't I? Lists, realistic plans, mindfulness, yoga, eating well and outside exercise.

Holiday of Winter Sun is booked for next month, I've just made the familiar mistake of using this as a reason to flog myself to death in the run up to it.

I think a written schedule would tip me over the edge I work FT then look after my dc and the house alone so there's almost zero free time once I'm done at 10pm. What I do is slot in as much fun as possible wherever I can squeeze it. Music and interesting podcasts when I'm commuting, messaging friends during work breaks for connection/support. Plus an unhealthy dose of daydreaming (which you can combine with almost any activity).