These 2 Zodiac Signs Famously Can't Handle Stress, But Here's How to Cope

You know the feeling. You’re cramming to finish a project due at midnight, switching back and forth between 37 browser tabs and wondering how you’ll ever get it all done. Overwhelming, right?

This represents the racing minds of our Gemini and Virgo friends. Perpetually multitasking and over-analyzing, both signs are ruled by Mercury: the fastest-orbiting planet said to symbolize how we think and share ideas. And while both are whip-smart and highly creative, these two zodiac signs are prone to stress and even burnout if they don’t have proper coping mechanisms. Below, five ways for Gemini, Virgo or any overthinker to find calm.

For Gemini and Virgo, it’s easy to get caught up in thoughts concerning the past and future. You’ll wonder whether you could have made a more compelling point at book club or how you’ll deal when your kid goes to college (in 18 years). For these crippling cases of the “what ifs,” meditation serves as a much-needed respite. By focusing on the breath, you’re bringing yourself back to the present moment to gain some much-needed clarity.

Raise your hand if you spend mornings scarfing down oatmeal over your keyboard while scanning through e-mails. Gemini and Virgo are both what astrologer’s call mutable signs, meaning they’re flexible and open to new ideas (translation: they’re likely to get pulled in 20 different directions). So take notes from Taurus and dedicate all of your senses to one task at a time. While you’re eating the oatmeal, enjoy the damn oatmeal. Smell the cinnamon, taste the berries and feel the warm oats in your belly. Try doing that with a laptop in your face.

Gemini and Virgo are quick to summon a joke or witty retort, and even quicker to be struck with a new fear or worry. Before giving those stressful thoughts a chance to set up camp and get cozy in your brain, give them the boot. Whether it’s through journaling, venting to a friend or even talking to yourself (no shame, Gemini), releasing stressful thoughts is necessary and cathartic.

You can find these two mercurial signs cradling their phones at night and poring over news apps in the morning. Gemini and Virgo love to be in the know, absorbing news, trends and vocabulary with fervor. But the pair has a hard time knowing when to stop scrolling. To prevent complete information overload, stick your phone across the room (or in a lockbox) before settling into your bedtime routine. A good old-fashioned book is just as satisfying.

To offset this duo’s tendency to rush, Gemini and Virgo should take time to observe nature without a set purpose. Whether it’s walking along the east river during your lunch break or taking long weekend hike, these moments will help to ground you and offer perspective. Watching the leaves fall or the clouds pass overhead is an important reminder that despite your stress the world is, in fact, still turning.