Coping Mechanisms: Let's Taco Bout Them

In our recent team meeting, we paused to address something many don’t discuss openly (but should), but that profoundly affects us all: how we're coping with today's relentless chaos.

I’ve seen about 2384023957 social media updates saying this—work-life balance was challenging enough before it evolved into "work-life-activist balance." Now we're juggling careers while navigating financial uncertainty, rising inflation, concerns about education systems, political tensions, and an endless news cycle that brings fresh anxiety with each notification. Like FR, I am swimming in a sea of cortisol on the REG!

The Need for Collective Breathing

Our conversation was inspired by a simple observation (again, gleaned from social media, if only you could see my camera roll, it’s where screenshots go to die): just as a choir can sustain a note indefinitely with each singer stepping back individually to breathe, our society needs the same approach to activism and engagement. No single person can remain "on" perpetually. We must take turns stepping back to recharge if we hope to sustain our collective efforts during these turbulent times. So I asked:

“What’s your (healthy) coping mechanism?”?

Our Team's Coping Toolkit

What emerged from our discussion was a hodgepodge of personal practices that help each team member find moments of peace and restoration. Here's what we shared:

Physical Reset

• Bouldering and climbing: One designer finds that physical challenges that require total focus provide a complete mental break from world concerns and she does it without the ropes!!
• Reconnecting with nature: Team members in the Midwest and East Coast are eagerly embracing the warming weather for walks that "reset their internal clocks." More than one person expressed sheer relief to be able to even go outside. Being in California does have its perks. The other day I couldn’t leave the house because it was raining. I am weak.?

Mindfulness Practices

• Meditation: Several team members are learning this practice, with many recommending the Calm app as a helpful starting point. Most of us (me) are still at the aspirational phase, BUT we’re trying!!
• Ritual creation: One colleague transforms ordinary moments into special experiences by creating small rituals—lighting a candle before journaling and preparing a special coffee before sitting down to write. I love this idea. Even a meal can be transformed from doomscrolling while shoveling food into one’s gob to a lovely time with a few nice touches.?

Gratitude and Perspective

• Calendar backfilling: A unique practice shared by one team member involves retrospectively documenting meaningful moments at week's end, creating a visual record of life beyond work. She said it helps one feel grateful for the cool stuff that happened as opposed to the weird stuff that is happening all around.?
• Appreciating small joys: The theme of "little treats" emerged repeatedly—whether it's a special snack, a moment with a favorite book, or time outdoors. Look, eating right and exercising are important, no doubt, but giving yourself a little pleasure in the midst of so much pain can for sure be excused. I do it HOURLY (strawberry Starbursts get me through the day.)

Mental Escapes

• Reading and audiobooks: We’ve got a lot of readers in the Branch, whether we’re listening to a fantasy epic, scooting to the library, hauling a historical saga to our fave bar (that’s me :) or keeping our mystery-filled e-reader close, literature provides a crucial escape hatch from current realities. Apps to try: Libby, Hoopla
• Curated content: Several team members mentioned the simple joy of scrolling through images of cute animals or babies for a quick "cuteness fix". Just as you can trick the algo into showing you all the bad news, you can also trick it into showing you videos of fat little babies cussing or some other righteously adorableness.?

The Productivity Paradox (callback!!)

Perhaps the most important insight from our discussion was the recognition that while there's always more work to do—especially in a client-focused marketing agency where "done" rarely exists—taking time for these restorative practices actually makes us more effective when we return to our desks.

This is a better paradox than the other one, but it’s just as crystal clear: stepping away from work makes us better at our work. Creating space for joy and restoration isn't just personally beneficial; it's professionally essential. We simply are not cut out to live in sustained stress but like, we totally have to, so books and candy it is.?

Moving Forward

As we navigate this complex moment in history, our team is committed to stealing supporting each other's coping strategies and recognizing that self-care isn't selfish—it's sustainable. As countless southern church ladies have told me, “you can’t pour from an empty cup hon.”??

We'll continue sharing what works, being honest about our struggles (solving most of them with food, we’re a foodie bunch around here), and remembering that we're all swimming through the same cesspool and HAVE TO support each other.?

What coping mechanisms have you and your team discovered? If you don’t know, ask! We'd love to hear what's working for others navigating similar challenges.

This article emerged from a team standup discussion where we shared our personal approaches to maintaining balance in chaotic times.