Ask E. Jean - Tormented? Driven Witless? Whipsawed by confusion?

Advice Vixens


Hai Yen
What do you do when you are irritable or feel anxious or stressed but can't pinpoint what it is? How do you get over the bad mood?

  • Cast your vote
    for Best Advice
    • give Hai Yen advice
    send this question to a friend



    Sam
    The two things that help me the most are taking a walk and talking with a trusted friend who I call regularly when this happens to me and they have a way of talking me out of it, distracting me with their humor, or just hanging in there with me while I go through it. I don't always like to bother this person, and when I can't get a hold of them, walking helps.

    reply to Sam
    send this answer to a friend




    BirdofHermes
    SING. WRITE.

    Creatively express myself and then realize that hey, all these bad feelings are GREAT inspiration.

    reply to BirdofHermes
    send this answer to a friend




    Maggie
    I pull on my ugliest pair of panties in an act of rebellion and hate and declare the day an "I Hate Everyone Day". I allow my brain to unfurl hate and tell everyone and their blue dog that I'm cranky and they need to give me a wide berth ... Which usually makes me laugh and the whole fiasco lets me laugh at my crabby self :)

    reply to Maggie
    send this answer to a friend




    honey
    I'll do any of the following depending on where I am. Go for a walk. Go outside and work in the yard. Tackle some icky cleaning chore that I've put off. Call a friend. Write a letter to vent that I never mail. Do some stretching. Take a catnap. Check to see if my period is approaching to try and identify if PMS is causing my irritation (just knowing it's hormones can sometimes help me mellow out). Drink a big glass of water and/or eat a snack in case it's low blood sugar or thirst that's making me irritable (frequently the case). Do a couple high kicks.

    reply to honey
    send this answer to a friend




    Josephine
    If I really can't pinpoint the source of my anxiety so I can work on solving a problem, I just get up and move around, make sure I breathe properly and wait it out.

    reply to Josephine
    send this answer to a friend




    Robynne
    To be perfectly honest, the first thing I do is check the calendar because the worst thing about PMS is that you *never* assume that's what's causing the problem.

    If it's a safe week, I vent -- okay, whine -- to a friend. With me, putting feelings into words clears them up 99% of the time.

    The other 1% I just go ahead and cry and eat ice cream.

    reply to Robynne
    send this answer to a friend


    Give advice or add a comment: