After the barrage of tragedies that decided to show up on our doorstep in the last few days of that disaster of a year, I thought I'd share my coping mechanisms for everyday stresses, from a corrupted save file to the normalization of a farcical tyrant.

I've found that daily meditation practice - taking just 10 minutes out of my day - does a lot to alleviate stress and re-center myself and my priorities. Often our minds are running on so many different threads that we don't notice how overwhelmed we are until we force ourselves to sit still.

Since I am rarely able to follow my own rules, I know that guided meditation works better for me, usually using the app Headspace, which offers 10 free days of 10-minute sessions. But if you want to try it right now, here are some tips:

~Plug in some white noise to listen to, or find a quiet spot where you won't be disturbed. You can sit in a chair or lie on the couch or the cold hard floor.
~It doesn't have to be perfectly silent. Allow any noises from the outside world to simply pass through one ear and out the other. Acknowledge it, but don't dwell on it. The same rule should also apply to any random thoughts that float across your awareness.
~Start by creating an awareness of your body, as well as the contact points between yourself and the chair, or the floor. This kind of meditation is meant to ground you, and get you out of your head. Focus on the sensation of breathing (in through your nose, out through your mouth), count your breaths if you'd like, and scan your body slowly as you relax each muscle.
~After focusing on keeping your mind empty for a number of minutes, allow yourself a thirty second interval in which you allow it to roam free, focusing on whatever it wants. Then empty it out again.
~Remember to go at your own pace, and don't get frustrated if your thoughts won't shut up.

It's not going to feel like it worked the first few times - don't go into your first meditation expecting to achieve zen - but forcing yourself to do it around the same time each day can gradually reduce stress and anxiety, as well as prevent cardiovascular disease and insomnia.

Part of our resolution for 2017 should include the willpower to carve ten minutes out of each day to take care of ourselves. Mindfulness builds a vital sense of self-awareness; ten minutes of it may not feel like a lot, but it makes a world of a difference, especially during a time when the world itself is taking on a different meaning. Happy New Year!