How to deal with a Gotterdammerung

Bordering on Beautiful. Day 4.

So you’ve learned how to pronounce the word. Congrats! As Duolingo would say, you’re like 0.005% fluent in German now and you can “add it to your Linkedin Profile”!

On a more serious note, I think that the first step in dealing with a Gotterdammerung is labeling it for what it is. Legitamizing your feelings enables you to deal with them in a more apt manner. It’s not easy. Going through your first Gotterdammerung is rather like being trapped within the pages of a guttural, visceral nightmare about dying. Or swallowing a thypoid pill with a gag reflex and an unnaturally dry throat. I wish I could coat the “Gotterdammerung pill” in chocolate like Miracle Max does in The Princess Bride, but my chocolate dispensary is sadly all out of cocoa beans.

While I go refill that, here are 10 tips on how to deal with a Gotterdammerung. These are just from my personal experience; actual results may vary.

1. The most important thing to know is that we all go through it. See that kid looking at his phone as he almost bumps into you? God knows what he’s dealing with. He might be playing Pokemon Go, but the tiny screen is his hands could also be his lifeline to news about someone he loves, someone in the hospital, someone who needs his help. Give him the benefit of the doubt.
2. “Gimme a break, Gimme a break, Break me off a piece o’ that Kit Kat bar.” A nice block of 70% dark chocolate with sea salt and a cup of steaming orange tea doesn’t hurt either.
3. “The opposite of war isn’t peace. It’s creation.” Engage in active creation — doodle to let your mind run freely, sign up for a painting class in your spare time, or build a bird house for your neighbor (if your neighbor is the size of a bird).
4. Realize that you’re engaging in active creation regardless. Take a walk and let your mind wander to wherever it wants to. As you walk, your body converts potential energy into kinetic energy. This graph probably explains it, but i’m not a physicist. The point is that your body will get you through this, and your mind will catch up later.

5. Talk to friends and family! You’re probably not FedEx executive Chuck Noland from Cast Away. You’re not living on a desert island with only Wilson for company, so utilize the “human capital” available to you.

6. Set goals. The goals can be simple. Anything from “i’m actually going to floss twice a day and make my mother proud” to “i’m going to learn all six of the official boy scout knots.” As long as you’re learning something, you’re doing it right. And you never know when such knowledge will come in handy.

7. Abide by the 3 R’s: Reflect, Reminisce, and Remember the other two R’s. If you’ve lost someone, take the time to acknowledge the impact they had on your life.

8. Read about inspiring people. Stephen Hawking is one of my favorites. “There should be no boundaries to human endeavor…” Thank youuu, Mr. Hawking.

9. Volunteer to get to know inspiring people. People who deal with so much every day, people who can guide you as you serve them. That, folks, is reciprocity. Those are the moments you’ll remember for the rest of your life, the bonds you form in times of hardship.

10. Keep a gratitude journal (thanks, Maggie!). The one-sentence daily requirement is a way to delight in friendships, revel in memories, and remember your favorite coffee shops. Seriously, it helps.

When you go through your first Gotterdammerung, just remember that you’re stronger than you think you are. I abide by the philosophy that we hide incredible strength under layers of deteriorating epithelial tissue. When you need to, you’ll come through for you.