Since starting this t-break, you might be experiencing disruptions to your sleep, your appetite, or to your mood. Just one of these things would make someone irritable. But perhaps you have experienced a few or all of them. You may be feeling more irritable.

It is not comfortable… but you’re OK. If irritability is not gone already it will likely be gone soon. Go easy on yourself. (If you’ve been a jerk to friends, you can apologize.) You’re good. You’ve got this.

Of course, not everyone experiences the same things. If some of the themes in this guide do not apply to you, feel free to take anything that works and leave what does not.

If you are feeling irritable or overwhelmed right now, hold on. To keep with the J Cole song from above, he says, “meditate, don’t medicate”. There are lots of types of meditation: the right one will work. The wrong type may actually unsettle you. Experiment with guided vs free; movement vs still. Check out the UVM Mindfulness Soundcloud.

Also, consider trying to locate emotions inside you. We hold feelings in our body. Where do you keep anxiety? (stomach, head, neck, somewhere else?) Where do you keep tension and irritation? (jaw, shoulders?) Knowing the physical location of our feelings helps us recognize and exist with them.