Beating Work-From-Home Cabin Fever Pre-Meltdown Syndrome

Here's How It Went Down

I don’t always know a meltdown is coming. Sometimes I have really hard work weeks and I come out of it just fine—nothing that a hard cider or chocolate chip cookie couldn’t fix! And then other times, there I am sitting at my desk and it HITS me: I work all the time I work all the time I work all the time I’m so stressed out and so tired and I can’t see straight because the computer is ruining my eyes and I don’t even have time to have this meltdown but I can’t help it and freelance sucks because there is always more work and I work every weekend and I can’t ever get ahead and I’m gonna cry!!!!!!
I know it’s serious when I lie down on my bed and my heart rate just gets faster; I try to read a book and I can’t process any of the words. 
As an impulsive illogical person, what comes next is perhaps predictable: I leave! Even if I’m at a workplace, I still leave! I head to the park, the cafe, the train, anywhere! I grabbed something to read, my bag, metrocard and camera and I booked it outta there. I get on the first train that comes and I look at the map, thinking about where I’m going to get off and what I’m going to do. It’s all about finding those comforting things, even in the congested streets of Manhattan.

*Listen to iPod*

My old iPod has a short lifespan each go around, but when I need to tune out everyone and everybody, it holds up for the 30-40 minute subway ride. My meltdown-conquering playlist goes a lil something like this:

• Badly Drawn Boy
• Sigur Ros 
• Bobbie Gentry 
• Debussy 
• Andrew Bird 
• Janis Joplin 
• Radiohead (but sometimes Thom, you make me CRAZIER than I already was. Paranoid Android? How to Disappear Completely? Not so good for my dwindling sanity) 
• George Gershwin 
• Django Reinhardt  
• Regina Spektor 
• “classic rock” (Lynyrd Skynyrd, CCR, Rolling Stones)

*Walk Down Favorite Block*

Currently I have one favorite block in New York City, and it’s 18th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in Manhattan. (I have too many favorites, but so far, none has taken over for 18th Street with its coveted title) I take a lot of people on My-Favorite-Block tour, but today it was just me, myself and I (just the way I like it muwahahahaha!)

Seeking Solace in Retail Therapy

Okay, but it’s not what you think! When I was little, and I have no idea why, but I really like sitting in the fitting rooms of the mall J.C. Penney’s. There was one in particular that was pretty big and because no one “manned” the fitting room, no one checked up on you, i.e. kicked me out for just squatting. I would take in clothes, sometimes not try them on and just think. This was probably between the ages of 12-15, when mom and dad were somewhere in the mall but us kids were allowed to go off on our own. 
I can’t explain it. Maybe the white walls were conducive to serious teenager thoughts or I was already having my mall freak-outs subconsciously. Okay, so I’m not a weirdo who sits in fitting rooms and ponders life anymore, but sometimes I DO like to try on clothes, even if I know I’m not going to buy anything. Okay okay, sometimes I sit in there for just a minute…

Um, I buy tights

Wow, through writing, I realize how crazy I really am! Did I actually fend off a breakdown, or did I just indulge my insane ways and tendencies? Hmm I don’t want to think about this right now. Anyway! Back when I used to work a law firm (hahaha), as a little gopher and file room-organizer, there were 4 things I liked to do instead of working:

1. go to the Au Bon Pain in the same skyscraper as the law firm and eat scones
2. read court cases when I had to work in the warehouse 
3. stare out the windows at the Pittsburgh skyline 
4. LEAVE WORK!!! TAKE 2 HOUR LUNCHES!!! WALK AROUND!!! (Do you see a pattern here? Wow, I am a lifelong job-avoider) Addendum: I wouldn’t take said lunches to eat lunch—I would go to Kaufmann’s, the department store akin to New York’s Macy’s (many floors, old wooden escalators) and buy tights. Yes, tights. Why was it comforting? Maybe it was the sheer (pun!) variety that I had never seen before. I do remember being astounded by one brand in particular: Berkshire’s Shimmer Tights. So yeah…I would regularly buy tights and feel better about returning to work.

Arriving home safe and sound...well, the safe part is true

How does the continuation into Brooklyn go? Pretty well:

1. I buy flowers and apple cider at the store
2. I get my $12 Indian food for dinner 
3. I watch The Office 
4. I get cracking and do the work I skipped out on this afternoon, including this guide, which you know, couldn’t have existed had I not skipped out like I did! Ta da!!!