Writers have to deal with a lot of rejection. Even those of us with tough hides experience moments of doubt. The worst is when you get a triple whammy: your article was killed; you got a surprise bill; and your dude told you he wants to see other people. Times like these try our resolve, but that’s life, right? Oh, if only it were so easy to go Zen. When life seems to have given me a special seat at my own private shit show, some of the strategies below help me cope. Basically, they all boil down to one thing: treating yourself as you would a beloved 7 year old kid who’s had a tough day.