How to get back up when life knocks you down.

2019 was a hell of a year for me.

My friends stopped stopping by. The cash ran out. Phones stopped ringing. My career crashed to a grinding halt and my couch became my sanctuary and silent retreat.

It’s 2020 and I am still here.

How did I hustle to stay afloat while the ocean of life dunked me around.

This is a small list of things I did to survive. I hope you find some of the hacks useful if you are feeling a bit under the wave.

1. Breathe

I discovered my breath. Every time panic would wash over my body and swirl in the pit of my stomach and rise like a tsunami in my chest — I would just stop and breathe. Just breathe and feel it inside. I would imagine the oxygen dissolving into every dark corner of my cells and washing the carbon dioxide away. I would breathe in and hold my breath to the count of 7 and then breathe out to a count of 7. I would do that for 5 breaths. And I felt better. And the panic would fade away. And I could get back to doing what ever I was doing that was constructive in the moment.

2. Count what is Above the line.

I learnt this from someone I can’t remember the name of . So please credit them as you read this.