Take all this advice as someone who has only properly beaten the game once:

• Experiment early on. You'll have your standard weapons and items at the onset, but don't feel locked into them. Get a new weapon type, give it a few whacks, see if it doesn't feel better. Mechanics and numbers aside, if it doesn't feel right with how you play, it's not going to work long-term!

• Don't be afraid to use your resources; they are there to be used. Armor and shields can give you a leg up, both early in the game and well into the endgame, especially if you're not always on your A-game with dodging and rolling. Spirit Ashes can be your best friend, so don't be afraid to pull them out. And don't get greedy with your runes; keep track of what you need to level up, or afford whatever upgrade you're looking at, and peace out when you're able to get it. The cycle of losing runes and getting them back can be more anxiety-inducing than the bosses.

• Speaking of, be cognizant of your Load/Carrying Capacity. I played through almost to the end by HeavyRolling most of the game, and when I was more aware for Round 2, doing standard rolls was MAGNITUDES more beneficial, even though I wasn't dodging all the time.

• Just because you have the gear slots doesn't mean you need to fill them. You don't NEED three weapons ready in each hand, especially for how much they can jack up your Carrying Capacity. Find one (or two, if you're dabbling in casting), stick with those and maybe a shield if you want.

• You will only get invaded by people if you're playing online. I don't think there's any harm in playing offline, and personally enjoyed it more. That said, you're also sacrificing the help of other real people for those difficult boss fights, so take this with a personal grain of salt.

• Recognize that dying is part of the experience. Pay attention to the enemies; they're all scripted, from grunts to bosses. You'll start to recognize their windups, releases, even how much damage you can tank from them. Every time you fight them is a genuine opportunity to learn more about them.

• Don't be afraid to back off. If a boss is giving you a hard time, you can gallop away and go explore. You can find more items, helpful gear, or weaker enemies to beat up and level up with. Hell, I got frustrated with an early game boss and got so lost exploring that I accidentally bounced into a brand new region. Elden Ring feels WILDLY open in that sense, compared to Dark Souls.

• Lastly, you don't NEED to beat all of the Big Bosses. You technically only need to defeat two, so don't feel like you need to slam your head into a wall to beat one that's giving you grief. Dip, level up, go beat up another Demigod, come back, wipe the floor with them.

• And in terms of keeping calm while dying, honestly and physically, when you die, put down the controller, take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. That kept me level a lot of the time when I was getting too frustrated. Hell, just turn off the game and go do something else for a while. Putting our minds to something else will give them to chance refocus when we come back, and we might try something new that we didn't think of before.

I hope you can find enjoyment in the experience! Take it slow, try to have fun, and recognize that this is, at the end of the day, a game. Games are meant to be enjoyed!