The Beast has many forms. The Doom-Anxiety Beast. The Regret Beast, or the Despair Beast.
The Beast has specific characteristics. It erodes your feeling of control and eats away at your ability to function when you least expect it. But it can never entirely take away that last bit of agency. This bit of agency can be used to control the Beast.

The Beast in our lives

Self Improvement

The Beast can't stop you from standing up straight - physically. It may want you to lower your head and shoulders. But an upright posture symbolizes resilience in the face of suffering.
Be your full height. Do it again and again.

Assume your full height

The Beast's presence makes you feel like you can't possibly live until it is gone.
However, history proves this is false. Human beings have lived with Beasts forever, often for years. Life still happens during that time. Choices are still made, and good things are still achieved.

Remember that the Beast is survivable

When you feel the Beast is pulling at you, do something that will improve your situation even is small ways. Straighten a crooked picture or picking up the laundry off the floor.
The point is to exercise the small bit of agency you do have. One little act of defiance shows that you will not be clamped down. Do anything to weaken the Beast.

Small acts of defiance

Physical exertion and cleaning is a superpower to overcome the Beast. A little of either can change the course of your day.
Do a movement routine to weaken the Beast. Get the house to a tidyish state - a single room if you can't. Keep it that way as best as you're able.

Lift things and clean

It is a great relief to describe your experience to someone. 
The goal is not to solve your problem. The goal is to break the illusion that something unique has gone wrong for you.

Talk to people who know the Beast

<img src="https://www.raptitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/rhendi-rukmana-H0lTOg1t_0o-unsplash.jpg" width="550" height="367" alt="Post image for How to Handle the Beast">The Beast showed up around Christmas last year, and stayed till April.During those months it was difficult to get anything done, or believe getting things done was a thing I could still do.You might know the Beast too. It has many forms. The Doom-Anxiety Beast. The Regret Beast. The Despair Beast. The Shame Beast. Psychologists have names for some of them.Whatever the form, the Beast has certain characteristics. It saps your sense of agency and forward motion. It robs you of what might feel like your birthright: the basic ability to function to society’s standards. You lose the sense that you can steer the boat.The Beast may stay away for weeks or months or years. Then one Thursday afternoon, when one too many things goes wrong, it darkens your doorway again and you know that life might be different for a while.If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s a good thing. Many of you do though. For what it’s worth, I’ll share what I’ve learned about tangling with the Beast. &nbsp;As you already know, the Beast especially likes to visit during the holidays, or sometimes just after. It takes advantage of stress, isolation, and any sense of non-belonging you already feel. It wants to reduce you to a robotic pattern of habits and appetites.However, it can never quite steal that last bit of agency from you. There is always enough wriggle-space beneath it to do small, defiant things. This bit of space is what we will use to handle the Beast.<h3>Assume your full height</h3>Physically, I mean. The Beast can’t stop you from standing up straight, but it sure doesn’t want you to. It wants you to lower your head and drop your shoulders forward, especially in public – otherwise you might start to consider the possibility that you are in some way worthy, or even formidable.Upright posture doesn’t just symbolize resilience in the face of suffering, it creates the resilience. Be your full height. Return to it again and again.<h3>Remember that the Beast is survivable</h3>The Beast’s presence feels like you’ve been evicted from normal life, at least for now. Nothing is stable, and you can’t do what you need to do. It feels like you can’t possibly live at all until the Beast is gone.Human history proves this is false. While the Beast can’t be ignored or destroyed, it can be lived with, and it has been. Human beings have cohabited with Beasts forever, often for years at a time. Life still happens during those years. Choices are still made, and good things are still accomplished.What I’m trying to say is that taking action and finding meaning are possible even while the Beast is present. The conditions are different, but you still have agency. Life is still happening, and it still counts.<h3>Discover the power of small acts of defiance</h3>Whenever you feel the Beast sapping your will, do something – anything – that will improve your situation in even the smallest way. Straighten a crooked picture. Put all your stray pencils into a cup.The point isn’t so much to get things done, it’s to exercise the small bit agency you do have. One little act of defiance proves to both you and the Beast that it cannot clamp down on you completely. The earlier you do this in a day, the greater the effect.Anything you do get done can weaken the Beast in a different way. By changing the state of things around you, you may be removing one of the Beast’s handholds, such as the laundry on your floor or the call you are not returning.<h3>Lift things and clean </h3>Physical exertion and cleaning up are the closest thing I’ve found to kryptonite for the Beast. A little of either can change a day’s trajectory, and remove more handholds.Do a daily movement routine, <a href="https://www.raptitude.com/2020/11/three-recession-proof-investments-for-2020/" data-type="post" data-id="10622" dir="ltr">even if it’s really easy</a>. Even if it’s the equivalent of three pushups. Each one weakens the Beast, because it is an act against gravity. You are exercising your agency indirect opposition to the Beast’s inertia.Get the house to a tidyish state if you can –- a single room if you can’t — and keep it that way the best you’re able. Clutter is madness congealed.<h3>Talk to people who know the Beast</h3>Nothing has been as helpful for me as getting to know other people who know the Beast and are willing talk about it.There is tremendous relief to be found just describing your experience to someone:<BLOCKQUOTE>“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” <cite dir="ltr">–C.S. Lewis</cite></BLOCKQUOTE>The goal of talking is not to problem-solve, but to break the illusion that something has gone uniquely wrong for you.Our species knows the Beast well, but we don’t talk about it much. I suppose that’s because it’s hard to win at the rat race and other public-facing status games when you admit you are suffering. But suffering less is more important.***Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@rendisssta" dir="ltr">Rhendi Rukmana</a><h3>
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The Beast showed up around Christmas last year, and stayed till April. During those months it was difficult to get anything done, or believe getting things done was a thing I could still do. You might know the Beast too. […]

The Beast showed up around Christmas last year, and stayed till April.

During those months it was difficult to get anything done, or believe getting things done was a thing I could still do.

You might know the Beast too. It has many forms. The Doom-Anxiety Beast. The Regret Beast. The Despair Beast. The Shame Beast. Psychologists have names for some of them.

Whatever the form, the Beast has certain characteristics. It saps your sense of agency and forward motion. It robs you of what might feel like your birthright: the basic ability to function to society’s standards. You lose the sense that you can steer the boat.

The Beast may stay away for weeks or months or years. Then one Thursday afternoon, when one too many things goes wrong, it darkens your doorway again and you know that life might be different for a while.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s a good thing. Many of you do though. For what it’s worth, I’ll share what I’ve learned about tangling with the Beast.

As you already know, the Beast especially likes to visit during the holidays, or sometimes just after. It takes advantage of stress, isolation, and any sense of non-belonging you already feel. It wants to reduce you to a robotic pattern of habits and appetites.

However, it can never quite steal that last bit of agency from you. There is always enough wriggle-space beneath it to do small, defiant things. This bit of space is what we will use to handle the Beast.

Physically, I mean. The Beast can’t stop you from standing up straight, but it sure doesn’t want you to. It wants you to lower your head and drop your shoulders forward, especially in public – otherwise you might start to consider the possibility that you are in some way worthy, or even formidable.

Upright posture doesn’t just symbolize resilience in the face of suffering, it creates the resilience. Be your full height. Return to it again and again.

The Beast’s presence feels like you’ve been evicted from normal life, at least for now. Nothing is stable, and you can’t do what you need to do. It feels like you can’t possibly live at all until the Beast is gone.

Human history proves this is false. While the Beast can’t be ignored or destroyed, it can be lived with, and it has been. Human beings have cohabited with Beasts forever, often for years at a time. Life still happens during those years. Choices are still made, and good things are still accomplished.

What I’m trying to say is that taking action and finding meaning are possible even while the Beast is present. The conditions are different, but you still have agency. Life is still happening, and it still counts.

Discover the power of small acts of defiance

Whenever you feel the Beast sapping your will, do something – anything – that will improve your situation in even the smallest way. Straighten a crooked picture. Put all your stray pencils into a cup.

The point isn’t so much to get things done, it’s to exercise the small bit agency you do have. One little act of defiance proves to both you and the Beast that it cannot clamp down on you completely. The earlier you do this in a day, the greater the effect.

Anything you do get done can weaken the Beast in a different way. By changing the state of things around you, you may be removing one of the Beast’s handholds, such as the laundry on your floor or the call you are not returning.

Physical exertion and cleaning up are the closest thing I’ve found to kryptonite for the Beast. A little of either can change a day’s trajectory, and remove more handholds.

Do a daily movement routine, <a data-id="10622" data-type="post" dir="ltr" href="https://www.raptitude.com/2020/11/three-recession-proof-investments-for-2020/">even if it’s really easy </a>. Even if it’s the equivalent of three pushups. Each one weakens the Beast, because it is an act against gravity. You are exercising your agency indirect opposition to the Beast’s inertia.

Get the house to a tidyish state if you can –- a single room if you can’t — and keep it that way the best you’re able. Clutter is madness congealed.

Nothing has been as helpful for me as getting to know other people who know the Beast and are willing talk about it.

There is tremendous relief to be found just describing your experience to someone:

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.”

The goal of talking is not to problem-solve, but to break the illusion that something has gone uniquely wrong for you.

Our species knows the Beast well, but we don’t talk about it much. I suppose that’s because it’s hard to win at the rat race and other public-facing status games when you admit you are suffering. But suffering less is more important.

Photo by <a dir="ltr" href="https://unsplash.com/@rendisssta">Rhendi Rukmana </a>

Finally! Raptitude is now on Patreon. It's an easy way to help keep Raptitude ad-free. In exchange you get access to extra posts and other goodies. Join a growing community of patrons. <a dir="ltr" href="https://patreon.com/raptitude">[See what it's all about] </a>

If you liked this post, get Raptitude sent to you. (It's free.)

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

How to Handle the Beast

The Beast in our lives

Assume your full height

Remember that the Beast is survivable

Small acts of defiance

Lift things and clean

Talk to people who know the Beast

You are Not Lazy or Undisciplined. You Have Internal Resistance.

How to Get Yourself to Do Things

How to Feel Better When You Don’t Know What’s Wrong

Bite‑sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

How to Handle the Beast

The Beast in our lives

Assume your full height

Remember that the Beast is survivable

Small acts of defiance

Lift things and clean

Talk to people who know the Beast

You are Not Lazy or Undisciplined. You Have Internal Resistance.

How to Get Yourself to Do Things

How to Feel Better When You Don’t Know What’s Wrong

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career