Intense bush fires, devastating floods, history-altering social movements…

We lost the Black Mamba AND the Black Panther… the Olympics were postponed for the first time since the World Wars!

And of course, we can’t forget to mention the Novel Corona Virus, COVID-19, which has claimed countless lives and impacted nearly everyone’s social, professional, and economic life around the globe. 

To say that 2020 has been one hell of a year, would be a massive understatement… 

And now, the Universe thinks it’s going to toy with us even more by going all Mercury Retrograde?

via GIPHY

Every 88 days, or 3-4 times a year, Mercury goes Retrograde. Which is just a fancy way of saying that Mercury’s orbit has lapped on our own and that it appears to be moving backward in the sky.  

The next (and last) Mercury Retrograde of the year is happening October 13th-November 3rd, 2020.

During this period, things will notoriously go wrong… Mercury Retrograde is known to cause chaos in communications, transportation, commerce, and technology. 

So what’s a fed-up-with-2020-person to do?

Here are 3 ways you can dodge Mercury Retorgrade’s chaos, and pretend it doesn’t even exist (just like your ex).

1. Don’t Relinquish Communication-Control!

Mercury is the planet of communications. And we’re talking about all forms of communication here…

Talking, texting, emails, post-mail, face-to-face, and virtual alike… it’s all bound to be impacted by Mercury Retrograde.

And with COVID-19 having the majority of us working from home, this can mean big problems for the unexpecting bystander.

But of course, you won’t be caught off guard… you know better. 

Instead of allowing Mercury Retrograde to wreak havoc in your communications, you can stay 1-step ahead with a few simple precautionary steps…

Read and re-read your messages before you even think about hitting “send”. Otherwise, you can be sure that your texts, emails, and social media posts will be autocorrected into something totally embarrassing that will definitely be brought up at the Christmas Party this year.

And speaking of social media… let’s just completely avoid posting anything controversial during this time… (yes we’re calling you out U.S. Presidential Election!)

I mean we’re not saying that your opinion is wrong, but Karen didn’t agree before, and Mercury Retrograde isn’t doing us any favors in the realm of compromises and understanding… So, keep the controversy out of your posts…  it’s only 3-weeks, you can do it!

…and surprise!…

Mercury Retrograde won’t just affect your communication with others, it can also impact your communication with yourself. Leaving you feeling disconnected, out of sorts, and straight-up frazzled.

But you can avoid all those crummy feelings before they strike, by indulging in the self-love and self-care that you’ve always wanted to try…

This is the perfect time for journaling, meditating, and self-compassion.

Or really, just do whatever makes YOU feel good about YOU… this isn’t the time to be a self-sacrificing saint. Sorry, not sorry.

2. Laugh in Mercury’s Plan-Ruining Face

People are traveling way less now than they were pre-pandemic. But as restrictions relax, borders re-open, and people begin to travel again…

It can be hard to resist the urge to jump on a flight to the nearest all-inclusive. 

And we don’t blame you. Living through a global pandemic for over half a year has us all itching for a sense of normalcy… and a fricking vacation!

“They” say that you shouldn’t travel during a Mercury Retrograde… and to “them” we say – HA! Asta La Vista, Baby!

Just because Mercury Retrograde is notorious for ruining plans, doesn’t mean that we can’t build some buffer into our plans and go anyway!

Plan ahead for delayed flights, car breakdowns, and GPS malfunctions. Know exactly what your next move will be if (ahem, when) plans go south, that way you can avoid the stress and panic altogether.

In other words… Have a back-up plan for your back-up plan… seriously.

And also make sure you that triple quadruple check all the details of your travel arrangements. Check your reservation times, get to the airport earlier than usual, and watch out for traffic delays.

And remember… even though it might be annoying as hell when plans go south, Mercury Retrograde has a powerful way of redirecting us.

Course corrections are the Universe’s way of guiding us towards a more aligned path… so do your best to go with the flow, and follow the path you’re being shown.

Enjoy your vacation despite the hiccups… take that Mercury Retrograde!

3. Take Yourself Out Of The Equation!

And perhaps the most notorious Mercury Retrograde villain of them all… tech malfunctions.

Let’s just face it… your computer is going to take twice as long to load, you won’t be able to stream your favorite Hulu show, and that 2500-word document you just typed up will be lost when your computer crashes unexpectedly.

We cannot stress this enough… save your work every 5 minutes like a mad-man, backup your computer, and save your photos to the cloud!

Plan ahead for the worst, that way when the inevitable happens, you’ll be less affected, keeping calm, and carrying on.

But what’s even better than planning ahead for tech malfunctions?…

Using Mercury Retrograde as an excuse to unplug, unwind, and just chill the f*** out.

Let’s face it, we’re all just a little too addicted to our devices… and losing them for an hour, a day, or even a week could do us more benefit than harm.

Turn off the devices, stop the scroll… and instead strike up a conversation with your neighbor, play a board game with friends, or curl up on the couch with a good book (a paper book – remember those?)

By staying off tech you’ll be removing yourself from the chaotic equation altogether… and by end of it, you’ll be saying: “Mercury Retrograde? I don’t know her!”

—-

2020 has been a year that has forced us to slow down, self-reflect, speak out, challenge social structures, and push us past our comfort zones (again, and again, and again)

And the upcoming Mercury Retrograde will be no different…

But we don’t have to fear it, and we certainly don’t have to fall victim to it.

We might not be able to cancel Mercury Retrograde (sorry)… but armed with the right plan, we can dodge its destructive path, and maybe even benefit from it.

Because let’s be honest, we just can’t deal with any more bullsh*t this year.

So, follow these tips and don’t fall victim to the chaos. And if you want make absolutely sure this Mercury Retrograde doesn’t get the best of you, you can get our Mercury Retrograde Survival Journal

Get your Mercury Retrograde survival journal now!

What tips do you have for surviving Mercury Retrograde? Let us know in the comments!