Break Glass in Case of Emergency: What to Do When Sh*t Hits the Fan

Because sometimes life is a dumpster fire.

Usually, I talk about all the ways we can manage stress: mindset shifts, resilience-building, rest, healthy habits. All fantastic strategies.

But let’s be real—sometimes life is a full-blown dumpster fire, and if one more person tells you to 'just breathe,' you might actually scream.

Image by @100soft

I’ve been there. I mean, really been there.

I have moved 6 times in 13 years. Yep, that basically works out to moving once every 2 years. In what has been rated the third most unaffordable city in the world.

For those that don’t know, moving is widely considered a significant life event, and is often cited as one of the most stressful life experiences a person can go through, ranking alongside major events like divorce or the death of a loved one.

So basically it was like having a death in the family every 2 years.

Though the first of those moves was cross country, the last one was by far the most stressful. Tensions had been building for a long while, and I had to move due to insanely loud upstairs neighbours whose partying had made sleeping impossible.

I finally found a great new place, but the timing was awful, I was moving over Christmas break. To make matters worse, I just got some awful health news, and I had my parents coming, because they wanted to see me for Christmas.

On top of ALL THAT there was an epic snowstorm, and here in Vancouver we are not super equipped for that type of weather. The movers showed up 4 hours late, dawdled the entire day, and were just generally unhelpful. My new buzzer didn’t work and my parents, while trying to be helpful, were frazzling my nerves as I feverishly worked to clean my old apartment.

I can’t say I kept calm all day, or was a total delight to be around, I did manage to find a way to not explode while all of this was happening.

This is my emergency toolkit for when life is absolute chaos.

---

Welcome to the Stress Emergency Kit

You know those days when everything that can go wrong, does? The ones where your brain won’t shut up, your to-do list is mocking you, and all you want to do is crawl into a blanket burrito and pretend adulting isn’t real?

This is for those days.

You don’t need a spa day or an hour of meditation—just a few fast, effective tools.

This is a grab-and-go survival guide for when stress gets overwhelming—no overthinking, just action.

No fluff. Just fast, effective ways to get through the chaos.

🆘 Feeling overwhelmed? Open this.
😡 Frustrated beyond belief? Scroll down.
😰 Can’t stop overthinking? Pick a strategy.
🙃 Everything is a dumpster fire? Let’s fix it.

Save this for later—Future You will be glad you did.

---

Step 1: Calm the Physical Panic Mode (Because Your Nervous System Freaks Out First)

The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method

• Helps to ground you when your brain is spiraling out of control

• Name *5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste.

• WHY IT WORKS: Brings you back to the present and out of an anxiety spiral.

Box Breathing (a.k.a. Instant Nervous System Reset)

• For when your heart is racing, slow breathing tells your nervous system you’re safe

• Inhale 4 seconds → Hold 4 seconds → Exhale 4 seconds → Hold 4 seconds.

• WHY IT WORKS: Triggers your parasympathetic nervous system (a.k.a. your rest and digest mode).

Vagus Nerve Hack: The Ice Trick

• Works for when you feel like you might scream or cry

• Hold an ice cube in your hand or splash cold water on your face.

• WHY IT WORKS: This shocks your nervous system into calming down (wild, but science-backed!).

Butterfly Hug (A trauma-informed calming technique)

• Cross your arms over your chest and tap your shoulders alternating sides for 30-60 seconds.

• WHY IT WORKS: Helps regulate emotions by engaging both hemispheres of your brain.

Havening Touch (A neuroscience-based stress relief technique)

• Gently stroke your arms from shoulders to elbows while repeating a calming phrase.

• WHY IT WORKS: Triggers delta waves in your brain, reducing stress fast.

Photo by Christian Erfurt on Unsplash

---

Step 2: Stop the Thought Spiral (Because Overthinking Makes It Worse)

The “Worst-Case, Best-Case, Most Likely” Trick

• Ask yourself:
  1. What’s the absolute worst thing that could happen?
  2. What’s the best possible outcome? What if it all works out?
  3. What’s the most likely scenario? (Hint: It’s usually way less dramatic than your brain is making it seem.)

• WHY IT WORKS: Stops worst-case thinking in its tracks and brings your brain back to reality.

The “Write It Down, Rip It Up” Hack

• Grab a piece of paper, dump all your thoughts out, and tear it up.

• Gets the overwhelm out of your head and into something you can physically release.

• WHY IT WORKS: Gets stress out of your brain and onto paper, so it stops looping.

“Would Future Me Care?” Perspective Shift

• Ask: Will this matter in a week? A month? A year?

• 90% of stress-inducing situations won’t matter long-term, but your nervous system reacts like it’s life-or-death.

• WHY IT WORKS: Shrinks stress by reminding your brain that most problems are temporary.

---

Step 3: Move the Stress Out of Your Body (Because Stress Stagnates If You Don’t Move It)

Shake It Out

• No, really, shake your whole body for 30 seconds!

• Animals do this after stress to reset their nervous system. It works for humans, too.

• Bonus points if you blast your favourite hype song while doing it.

• WHY IT WORKS: Releases built-up adrenaline and resets your nervous system fast.

The 10-Second Power Stretch

• Stretch to release tension fast

• Reach arms overhead, interlace fingers, stretch to one side, then the other.

• Drop your shoulders, roll your neck, and breathe deeply.

• WHY IT WORKS: Loosens tension, boosts circulation, and tells your body to relax.

Humming Hack (For when you feel overwhelmed)

• Hum for 30-60 seconds (any tune, doesn’t matter!).

• WHY IT WORKS: Stimulates the vagus nerve, lowering stress hormones fast.

The Power Walk (Even Just Around the Room)

• Moving your body tells your brain you’re safe and resets your stress response. (Bonus points if you go outside: Fresh air, sunlight, and even just seeing greenery help lower cortisol levels, boost mood, and give your brain a much-needed reset.)

• WHY IT WORKS: Burns off stress hormones and signals your brain that you’re safe.

  

  Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash

---

Step 4: Emergency Mindset Shift (So You Don’t Stay Stuck)

Mantra: “I Can Handle This”

• Repeat it out loud. Your brain listens to what you repeat.

• If that doesn’t work, try “This is temporary.”

• The best mantra is one that is authentic to you.

• WHY IT WORKS: Rewires your brain for confidence and shifts you from panic to control.

The ‘One Tiny Win’ Hack

• Pick ONE thing you can do right now. (Answer one email. Drink a glass of water. Put on socks.)

• Doing something small shifts your brain from panic to progress.

• WHY IT WORKS: Stress makes you feel powerless—small wins bring you back into control.

Adopt an Alter Ego (For when you need instant confidence)

• Pretend you’re someone confident handling this situation. (What would Beyoncé do? FYI: She’s famous for using the alter ego Sasha Fierce to overcome stage fright!)

• WHY IT WORKS: Shifts your brain into problem-solving mode instead of panic.

The “Permission to Pause” Rule

• Give yourself 60 seconds to do nothing—just breathe and reset.

• Pausing doesn’t mean failing; it means regaining control.

• Walk outside, look at the sky, take 10 deep breaths, or just close your eyes.

• WHY IT WORKS: A single minute of pause interrupts stress buildup and helps reset your perspective.

  

  Photo by Mel Elías on Unsplash

---

Bonus: Laughter—the Ultimate Stress Disruptor

😂 Find Something Ridiculous

Watch a dumb meme, a goofy dog video, or your favourite comedy clip. (Science says even fake laughing helps!)

WHY IT WORKS: Laughter shuts down stress hormones, releases endorphins, lowers cortisol, and interrupts stress patterns

---

🚫 What NOT to Do When You’re Stressed AF

❌ Doom-scroll on social media (seriously, step away from the drama)
❌ Chug another coffee (caffeine fuels stress, not fixes it)
❌ Try to ‘push through’ (your brain needs a reset, not more pressure)
❌ Make major life decisions (trust me, not the time)

---

📌 Your Personal ‘Break Glass’ Plan

1️⃣ Pick 2-3 of these tools to keep in your back pocket.
2️⃣ Save this post so you can open it the next time life goes sideways.
3️⃣ Remember: Stress happens. Life gets messy. But now, you’ve got a go-to toolkit to handle the chaos like a pro.

💬 What’s your go-to stress relief hack when life gets crazy? Drop it in the comments—I’m always looking for new survival hacks!

---