12 Perfect GIFs To Keep You Relaxed & Soothe Your Spirit

    We asked you to share the mottos that keep you calm & focused. Then we wrote them on pictures of sunsets and shit. Goodbye, anxiety!

    Adam J. Kurtz
    by Adam J. Kurtz

    BuzzFeed, Social Web Artist

    When you're stressed or anxious, nothing helps more than a stranger who thinks they know what you're going through offering you their advice without you asking for it. Plus, putting slogans onto pictures of sunsets and waves and shit always makes them more meaningful.

    So we took it one step further.

    You sent us your own mantras, and we gently layered gorgeous hand-lettered typography onto beautiful videos. The end result is arguably the most perfect list of soothing GIFs that ever existed, with encouraging and useful mantras ready to be adopted as your own.

    Just keep moving

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @TheMochnacz

    When times get tough, this mantra just keeps on going. It's important to remember to never give up, no matter what. Try shouting this at the top of your lungs when you're stressed out on your way to work, in your car, or walking down the street. Guaranteed to help!

    To reinforce that idea, we wrote these three words on a gif of waves. Because waves also keep moving. Except for that whole thing where they freeze in the winter. Or how sometimes they just kind of flop around.

    Too blessed to be stressed

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @trevorjab

    This popular mantra implies that there is so much great stuff going on in your life that you couldn't possibly be stressed out about it. Very positive!

    Is this mantra basically a humblebrag? Yes, probably. But #blessed remains one of the greatest hashtags of all time. And look at these fluffy clouds! Let them pour over you. Wooooooshhh.

    Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @hello_mcee

    Hmm, something about this phrase seems familiar. Can't quite figure it out. Is it the heart and eyes? We all have those! This is relatable! That must be it.

    Paired with a subtle gif of rolling fields and little buzzy bug things, this makes for a very soothing image. Breathe in, then out. Ahhhh.

    Calm the fuck down & focus

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @caitsfrommars

    Sometimes tough love is the way to go, and a bit of foul language can be pretty funny when recited frantically under your breath, right? This mantra gets right to the point, telling you in clear terms, to calm the fuck down and focus. Calm the fuck down and focus! Is it working yet?

    A perfect accident, the image of soothing waves comes into focus in the background. Guess it worked afterall.

    What would Cher do? (W.W.C.D?)

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @zoucifer

    This twist on a popular religious catchphrase makes it much more #cherable for other purposes. What would Cher do in this situation? Try to channel that spirit. Consider using #WWCD and then a bunch of emojis in your next tweet. 🐣

    The rushing waterfall image in the background here represents the unending strength and beauty of Cher herself. This image is guaranteed to work probably.

    Control what you can, confront what you can't

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @mew416

    This mantra reads a little long, but after several muttered utterances, it'll feel like home. Recognizing you can't control everything is really helpful, because that's one less responsibility off your plate. Stop trying to control everything! That's not your job!

    The wind blows softly through these fields, taking all your negative energy with it. So chill. Also that grass is so green! Where is it? It seems greener than this side?

    Be better than you were yesterday

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @ivonne1399

    At the end of the day, all you really can do is try harder tomorrow. You did good. Now do great. And then greater. And then even greater. Even if it's just a tiny amount, that growth is what will keep you going. Didn't quite make it? You'll be great tomorrow and today will be yesterday. Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery, or whatever.

    Okay, this was sorta lazy. These clouds as like, the literal definition of wispy. But that's okay. They'll be fuller tomorrow.

    It's a bad day, not a bad life

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @ArielKatherine

    More about tomorrow! When the day sucks, and there's just no way around that fact, just remember tomorrow can be better. One day isn't your whole life. One day is just one day. Bad days happen to everyone. Say this a few times and then play that Bad Day song and feel better.

    For this mantra, we went with the soothing ripples of a blue lake. The calming blue waves are- HEY! STOP! DUCKS, GET OUT OF HERE, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE ENCOURAGING GIFS WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?

    So it goes

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @DETben

    Apparently this is from Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, which the guy who tweeted at us did mention. I like how true and also empty this is. It's like something your dad says and you're like "great, thanks, dad" and then you grow up and you're like "ugh so true" and then you repeat it to your kids and they're like "great, thanks." Sometimes that's just how things go. Life is just life. Everything matters, so nothing matters. So it goes.

    This handwriting is sort of worse than the other ones, but the fast-moving clouds provide a good distraction. What is that letter "O" even? It looks like a lemon. That last "S" is a mess. GO HOME, S, YOU'RE DRUNK.

    I am the ocean, I am the sea

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @DaniiiMFC

    Your body is mostly water, and so is the world. Everything is fluid. You are life. Ebb and flow, wave and ripple, breathe easy, come ashore and then leave again. Relaxing vibes forever.

    This mantra is just a perfect fit for this project. A soothing, continuous message, paired with a soothing, continuous gif. Water on water. So literal!

    It is what it is

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @_kategroh

    Great. Thanks. So helpful. But, honestly, it is. It just is.

    Heavy snowfall can be such a pain, but it's also beautiful. Just like this stupid, annoyingly accurate mantra. Ugh.

    Myx moscato & vodka I'mma mix it

    Adam J. Kurtz / BuzzFeed / StockFootageForFree.com / Via Twitter: @brynosaurous

    YAAASSSSS, NICKI! Whoever submitted this was almost 100% trolling, but you know what, Nicki knows best. An endless fountain of wisdom, dropped one pearl at a time. Nicki knows about confidence, courage, and self-care. So when Nicki says drink, have a drink. Treat yourself! You've earned it. Remember that you're a bad-ass boss whenever you're stressed by adopting this mantra as your own.

    This fresh-popped bottle shoots champagne in a strong, soothing stream. Nailed it. Obviously it's not a sunset or a rainfall or whatever, but we can make an exception.

    For more gifs & other stuff that you didn't know you needed, be sure to follow BuzzFeed BFF on tumblr!