Pine & Ginger: Coping in the Age of Anxiety

This winter one of my favourite songs to get me through the grey days was Pine & Ginger by Amindi K. Fro$t, Tessellated, and producer Valleyz. This dancehall-pop fusion had me bobbing my head and thinking, “Damn, I can relate.”

Not only because I love pineapple and ginger but because the verses had me reflecting on our collective anxiety; a generation characterized by being as equally privileged as we are miserable.

While shimmying along, dreaming about the sun and a cocktail, and thinking about how I can convince Kate to make that steak for me, I started to ask myself, why are we stressed and anxious? How are we coping? And how can we improve?

But before an answer to all your questions, a mid-size tangent.

How a Good Beat Got Me Thinking

If you enjoy an easy beat and a bit of island smooth, listen to Pine & Ginger.  Amindi K. Fro$t starts the track solo, voice raspy and melodic with small doses of synth. By the chorus she’s also accompanied by horns and a down beat. It is a good-vibes tune by anyone’s interpretation. But the simple brilliance of the song comes from the contrast between the upbeat production and the darker lyrics.

Unsurprisingly, pineapple and ginger, a refreshingly sweet yet spicy juice or cocktail (check out the recipe below) commonly made during the Christmas holidays in Jamaica, has very little to do with the meaning of the track.

Him have the rum inna the sorrel

Him affi drink away him sorrow

Guess him nuh care bout tomorrow

In an interview in December 2017 with Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner, Tessellated said,

“The song is really about the fact that everybody is dealing with the same issues, just in different ways, and we are simply commenting on the reality of how individuals cope.”

The track references sexuality, smoking and drinking as methods to manage stress.

But then comes the outro, which also speaks to stress relief through the creative process – in this case, writing.

Everybody’s coping

Whether drinking, whether smoking

Whether writing down a song

Pen and paper to the open

I listened to the track so often, I started to reflect on the triggers that caused my stress and the measures I used to cope. For me, the verse about writing was personal. Once a long time ago, I used to write regularly, it was one of my favourite hobbies and emotional outlets.

But then there was school, and later work, and over time an increasing tally of responsibilities. One day I stopped.

How are we coping? How are we making it worse? 

I’m not dropping any groundbreaking knowledge here: exercise and eating well are both great ways to manage stress and increase happiness. But it’s equally important to know which habits are proving to be unhelpful in our efforts to alleviate stress and anxiety.

Caffeine. Don’t hate, but coffee, a stimulant that increases physical reactions such as jitteriness, can cause anxiety. Ideally, we should be reducing our intake. (I said don’t hate!)

Alcohol (to no one’s surprise) is also a big offender. (Again, don’t hate me! I’m just the messenger!) It dehydrates the body and ultimately increases anxiety (especially the morning after a particularly thirsty night) and it can increase depression. I’m not saying don’t drink, but I do think we should be aware of how it can impact us.

No shocking revelations so far, but there were a few surprises. Did you know that compulsive shopping, emotional eating, skipping meals, smoking, socializing with other anxious people, watching too much TV, playing too many video games, and spending too much time on social media have all been linked to increased levels of stress and anxiety, and decreased levels of happiness? Real talk.

Needless to say, I’m guilty of over indulging more than a few of these unhealthy habits. How can I (we) do better?

Challenge yourself

Setting new goals helps us to build confidence, but that doesn’t need to mean that only lofty goals are worth pursuing. Don’t forget to pursue goals which are readily attainable while you continue to follow your big ambitions! For example, I liked language, reading, and writing when I was younger. Currently, I’m in a Spanish class, I’m in a book club, and I’m writing this post. What activity would make you feel accomplished and how can you do it today?

Be Positive

Being positive is a mindset that can be worked towards. Try to define the things that you are grateful for in life. It’s easy to fall into a perpetual cycle of negative thought. Work against that instinct.

Constantly remind yourself to accept that there are things you cannot change, and then focus on the things you can. The sun will rise in the east, set in the west and your colleague Nick will always be an ass. But, just because Nick sucks doesn’t mean your entire day needs to.

Find a killer recipe to make for dinner this week, and spend your day dreaming of that drool-worthy dish. (Even better, find a recipe that can be shared with your friends, and get started on an impromptu mid-week dinner party. (Remember that steak I was telling you about earlier? It’s totally going to be dinner for me and Kate.) Put together a throwback playlist to listen to while you pick up groceries and make dinner (or play sous chef and help a friend cook). Don’t you feel better?

While it may take time, refocusing on positive thoughts and changeable outcomes will help you leave stress induced pessimism behind.

Connect with People

Maintain a good support network of family and friends. A good network will help you find solutions to your troubles. They can get you to laugh, relax, and remind you of better times. They are also great when you need that confidence to move forward or when you need someone to call you out on defeatist thinking. This is why we have #squadgoals.

Me Time

Do you. Make time to do what makes you happy! Cook, go to a museum, travel, dance, sing, play a sport, take a walk, listen to music. Make sure to have quality time away from work or any other regular stressors.

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple (use peeled skin only)
• 1 c of sugar (we used cane sugar)
• 6 limes (juiced)
• 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 8 cups of water
• Dark rum

Directions

• Wash the pineapple well with water, then peel, trying to get the least amount of flesh as possible.
• In a large sauce pan, pour 8 cups of water. Add the pineapple skin and ginger. Turn on high and boil for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Using an emulsion blender, blend the skins, ginger and water until smooth.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl to separate the liquid from the pulp. Discard the pulp.
• Add the lime and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Refrigerate until it is cold.
• To serve, mix 1 part rum with 3 parts juice in a glass. Ice optional.

Note:

The added bonus of making Pine & Ginger is that you are really only using the pineapple skin – the actual fruit is left untouched.

Pineapple for breakfast? A pineapple upside down cake? Pineapple to snack on while you sip your cocktail? The possibilities are endless.