Usually, when something is going on with me, I just try to hang on. My mind will spin out wild ideas, pumping me full of stress chemicals until I’m in full flight mode with nowhere to run. If I have there wherewithal to do so, I talk myself down because I’m big into treating the cause (if I can get to it), not the symptoms. But if I’m just too irrational (to the point of not realizing I’m irrational), I just try to grit my teeth and bear with it. I distract myself by reading or cooking. I repeat to myself “this will pass” and “there are many good things in my life that are more important than this,” even if I don’t particularly believe that at the time, I keep saying it. I cling to my spiritual practice like a life raft. I read articles on Tiny Buddha or Zen Habits. Basically do whatever I can to weather the storm.

I’m in one right now and it isn’t pretty, but I’m doing all of the above and I’m still going.