It’s very likely that a particular moment or event prompted you to feel as if you are in crisis. For some people, this can be a meeting at your work that doesn’t go the way you planned. Or, you may have had a lovely couples’ dinner that reminded you how much you want a partner.  Knowing your triggers lets you plan to avoid or counter situations that may push you into crisis. For example, you might plan group gatherings instead of dinners where you’ll feel like a third-wheel. Triggers can include major life events, such as the death of a loved one, losing your job, or getting a divorce. You might be the type of person who has a series of existential crises and actually thrives off of them. Or, at the very least, they may pass without really upsetting your mental state for very long. See if you can discern a pattern to your crisis moments and experiment with what happens if you just ignore it and move on. If you feel overwhelmed with negative thoughts, then you may need to take action. Talking with a therapist might be a good start. Sit down and think about all of the people you’ve had contact with over your life. Identify those people who you’d consider to be friends and family. Out of that category, separate out those people who you know truly love you. Do this exercise often and you’ll see how extended your support network actually is. Don’t assess the final category based on how many people end up there. Instead, focus on the quality of these positive feelings. Think about someone who you admire, even if you’ve never met them. Then, envision telling them how you are feeling and what they’d say in response. This is a great way to give yourself advice, but in a more detached sense. For example, you might express your concerns to imaginary Oprah Winfrey and guess what she’d tell you to do. This is when talking things out with another person can really help. You may think that you are depressed about a particular incident that took place that day, but it’s likely a much larger issue. Keep asking yourself, “What else is bothering me?” For example, as a parent, you might not just get frustrated at the constant stream of laundry at home, but also the inability to spend time with your friends as easily as you did before having children.
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One-sentence summary -- Identify your crisis triggers by examining your recent actions and thoughts. Know when to just leave your crisis moment alone. Create a mental catalog of the people who love you. Imagine one of your idols giving you advice. Dig deeper beyond the surface of the problem.


In a small bowl, add 2–3 tablespoon (29.6–44.4 ml) of baking soda. Add lemon juice a few drops at a time, stirring until the mixture forms into a paste. The baking soda will act to remove surface stains while the lemon juice will whiten teeth. Wipe saliva off of your teeth with a paper towel. Apply the paste generously to dry teeth with a toothbrush and let it sit. Make sure it covers all of your teeth, and avoid swallowing any of the mixture. Let the paste sit on your teeth for one minute, timing it with your phone or a stopwatch. Rinse your mouth immediately to prevent the acidity of the lemon juice from harming your tooth enamel. Be sure that the paste is entirely removed from your teeth. As a milder alternative, use water to make the paste instead of lemon juice. Mix the paste the same way, using the same quantities of baking soda and liquid. Leave the paste on for three minutes instead of one as the milder mixture will not be acidic enough to harm enamel.
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One-sentence summary -- Mix together baking soda and lemon juice. Apply the paste. Leave it on for one minute, then rinse. Use water instead of lemon juice as an alternative.


This simple yet effective move is guaranteed to make her smile. Whether it's Valentine's Day, her birthday, or even a day during a random week when you know she's feeling a bit blue, then making the gesture to send her some flowers along with a short note will make her see that she really means something to you.  Ideally, knowing which flowers she likes the most is better than sending her a generic bouquet or flowers; see if you can find out her favorite type of flower without being too obvious. Keep it a surprise. Don't let her know they're coming (though you should make sure she'll be home to accept the delivery). What, you're too manly to bake some cookies, package them properly, and send them to your special lady's address? Pish posh. If you want to go out of your way to impress the girl and show off your culinary skills, then make some simple chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies and send 'em her way. Or if your mom or sister has made another batch of her famous cookies, send several of them to your special girl.  Really: she'll be impressed that you think she's so special that you want to share your favorite sweets with her. It goes without saying that you should only mail them to her when you know she'll be home. You should wait for the cookies to cool down and then send them off as soon as you can after that. This is even more romantic than going into a store and buying a CD for the girl. Make a compilation of all of your favorite tunes, making sure that they are songs that she actually likes. If you love Metallica but are pretty sure that's not her thing, you can keep it off the list. If there are any special songs that make you think of each other, then you can add those to the mix. You can write Katie's ultimate mix or something short to remind her of you. You don't have to pick something overly sappy or sentimental. Pick something that puts her in a fun frame of mind and makes her think of you. If you've been traveling, send her a cute and short postcard with a picture of where you've been and say that you've been thinking of her. Just drop her a few lines about some of the fun stuff you've been doing without making her feel left out and drop a quick, "You'd love it here!" or something that would make her feel like she's still on your mind no matter how far away you are. If you want to be cute, you can send her a postcard even if you haven't gone anywhere. Send her a postcard from your hometown and say, "I love it here!" It'll make her laugh and will score you major originality points. If you're spending the summer in Florida, send her a few shells you found on the beach. If you're backpacking in Europe, send her a small souvenir from the city where you stopped. If you're just spending the summer at your grandmother's apple orchard, send her a bushel of apples that aren't fully ripe yet. Do something to give her a sense of place and to think about you in another location. The ultimate goal is always to have the girl both thinking of you, thinking you're thoughtful, and wanting to be where you are.
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One-sentence summary --
Send her flowers. Send her cookies. Send her a CD mix. Send her a postcard. Send her something from your location.