Over the past week or so, I've been feeling pretty off. A little anxiety here, a little brain fog there and some difficulty expressing myself when people ask me thought-provoking questions.

Whenever anything feels off in my life, I try to examine it closely so I can make a constructive change. In this case, I think what's going on is pretty clear: Mercury is in retrograde.

Listen, I used to not buy this stuff. And to be fair, there's not a lot of science to back it up. So who cares if a planet is moving backward?

But even if you're not into the whole astrology thing, you should still pay at least some attention this -- because Mercury being in retrograde seriously f*cks with a lot of us.

Since we've still got a few more grueling weeks of Mercury being in retrograde (the agony will end on May 22), let's talk about what it does to your brain and emotions and how you can cope.

Here's how to know if Mercury retrograde is hitting you hard:

If you're one of the lucky ones, you probably feel totally fine with Mercury being in retrograde. Good for you.

But maybe you're experiencing random bouts of anxiety. Although you logically know that things are going pretty well for you -- you're killing it at work and you even have a date on Friday night -- you still wake up in the middle of the night feeling super freaked out and anxious for no reason.

Yep, that's Mercury being in retrograde.

Did you walk into a meeting today full of compelling talking points, only to totally clam up and forget everything you had prepared? Or maybe you and your SO aren't getting along as well as usual, and you can't quite articulate why.

Mercury again.

Mercury can go so far as to create digestive issues, which is never fun either.

As astrologer Mitchell Lewis explains to Prevention,

Digestion collapses as people hold emotions in because they aren't communicating well and they're anxious.

If any of these things sound familiar to you, let's talk about how to cope.

Here's your action plan:

While you can't entirely get rid of all the feelings Mercury is making you feel right now, there are some moves you can make starting right now.

Think of Mercury being in retrograde as an opportunity rather than a stumbling block. Because you're a little foggy, it's probably not the best time to start anything new as major as a job or a relationship. Some say you shouldn't sign any contracts either because you're not interpreting information as correctly or clearly as usual.

Because making big life moves isn't advised while Mercury is in retrograde, instead think of it as an opportunity to simply take care of yourself and slow down for a few weeks. Start incorporating more meditation into your routine, and work on distancing yourself a bit from social media.

Cook nourishing food for yourself, work to get more exercise and go easy on yourself when you're feeling a little foggy.

Mercury will start going in the right direction again soon, and you can go right back to the hustle. Until then, take good care of your mental and emotional health.

Don't let Mercury get the best of you. You've got this!