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If you’re “feeling stuck in life and want to die,” the 20,000/24 plan might help you feel better

Casey Baseel Mar 28, 2021
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Japanese Twitter user’s strategy is a quick reminder that it’s OK to value yourself.

When it rains, the saying goes, it pours. There are times in life where stress, frustration, and disappointment pile up on top of each other, and each additional layer makes the whole stack press down on your spirit that much more heavily, sometimes so much that you might start to wonder if you can keep going,

Japanese Twitter user @Tatsu___0, though, recently shared his technique for getting out from under that oppressively hopeless feeling.

何かに行き詰まって死にたい人。嘘だと思って2万円と24時間を生贄にしてみて欲しい。美容院で髪を綺麗にして、焼肉屋に入って肉を焼いて、綺麗なスパで2時間温泉に入って、ホテルのフカフカのベッドで寝る。そしたらほんの少しだけ死ななくてもいいかなって思えるようになるから。ソースは昨日の俺。

— 勇者たつまる (@Yusha_Tatsumaru) March 20, 2021

“To those of you who feel like you’re stuck in life, can’t make meaningful progress, and just want to die. I want you to try taking 20,000 yen [US$194] and 24 hours of time and just splurging on whatever you want. Go to the salon and get your hair done really nicely. Treat yourself to a yakinuku dinner. Rent out a private onsen hot spring bath for yourself for a couple hours. Get yourself a room in a fancy hotel and sleep in a soft, fluffy bed.

Do that, and at least a little, you’ll start to think ‘You know, maybe I don’t want to die.’

Source: What I did for myself yesterday.”

Obviously 20,000 yen isn’t enough to enjoy all of those luxuries, and some commenters with more expensive tastes grumbled that they’d need a higher budget to really indulge themselves. And of course, not everyone can afford to casually blow even 20,000 yen, or a full 24 hours, on whatever they happen to want/want to do at that particular moment.　But really, the exact monetary, and temporal, figures aren’t important.

The key idea behind @Tatsu___0’s philosophy is simply to make an immediate investment in your own happiness and comfort. Obviously bigger is better, but any amount of time and money spent will help reaffirm that it’s OK to value yourself and your emotional well-being, and several other commenters agreed

“When you feel like you’ve hit a wall or are stuck in a rut, it can be hard to think about anything else, so even a little luxury that gives you something else to focus on can be a huge help.”

“I was feeling really worn out from work and my daily life, but I love the ocean, so I hopped on a train and rode it for hours until I got to the coast. I got myself a beer and looked out at the harbor, and a local granny even gave me an orange. I can still remember how good it tasted.”

“The best thing you can do for your mental health is to make reminding yourself that you value yourself.”

“I’ve heard that going outside and just staring at some scenery reduces short-term stress by 42 percent. Having a drink at an outdoor cafe while doing that won’t cost you more than 1,000 yen.”

It’s worth bearing in mind that @Tatsu___0’s recommendation is for when you’re feeling depressed because of a sensation that you’re in a rut as opposed to being on the receiving end of active emotional abuse. He also doesn’t say that his pick-me-up plan will completely or permanently fix the problem, so it isn’t a substitute for professional counselling or necessary medication. All he’s saying is that if you’re being overwhelmed by hopelessness because you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything good, it’s important to remember that it’s always OK to take good care of yourself.

If you or someone you know is in Japan and having suicidal thoughts, there are people here to help. Click here for more info.

Source: Twitter/@Tatsu___0 via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
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