I love the show Steven Universe. At first it seemed like another brainless kid show designed to be just entertaining, but after watching it I realized it was more than that. The show tackled deeply personal and societal issues while still being entertaining and funny. One of my favorite things that the show tackles is relationships. Relationships are physically manifested in 'fusion' where two or more of the characters come together to form one being. These fusions can be disrupted when one of the characters are stressed or overwhelmed by something going on in the world around them. This mirrors the reality where stress can ruin our relationships with each other and leave us a wreck.
In one of the more recent episodes, one of the characters was avoiding their problems. This led to an incident where when they got into a fusion, the fusion collapsed. One of the other characters, a permanent fusion, helped them through there stress, with a very catchy song, which led to a touching moment between characters. The more I listened to the song, the more I realized how valuable the lyrics were. The lyrics are a step by step guide with dealing with stress, so I decided to break it down.
1.Close your eyes and breathe
The first step in dealing with things is taking a moment to close your eyes and breathe. Getting yourself into a calm rhythm, will help you control your emotions and your thoughts easier.
2.Clear your mind
The next step is to clear your mind from all thoughts that are unrelated to the root of the problem, that are unhelpful to your life and to you in that moment. To quote the song, "Take a moment to think of just, flexibility, love, and trust".
3.Allow your thoughts to float in
Now, you have to allow a thought, no matter how painful, to float in. Focus on that thought and follow wherever it leads. If it is too painful, keep breathing and step back until you are in control.
4.Allow yourself to feel and accept it
Now comes a difficult step, it's time to allow yourself to feel everything. This step can take time and there might be a lot of emotion built up. It's important to remember, it's okay to cry, it's okay to be angry, it's okay. It's also important to remember, that these things don't change the fact that you matter and that you can make it through okay.
5.Let it go
This is probably the hardest part. As a culture, we don't like to let things go. However letting things go, is the only way that we will move past our problems and allow ourselves to grow as people
Like anything, your problems aren't going to be solved immediately. Getting over stress, getting over problems, over negative thoughts or painful memories, takes time. Your going to need to take the time to work through it, at your pace. Don't let the situation control you, but don't be afraid to feel either. You're a human being, you have the power and you have feelings. Take things slow and remember that you're here and it's okay.
