I'm the first to admit that I'm a complete stress-head. I'm a nightmare for worrying and panicking. It's partly because I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so when things don't go quite according to plan my automatic reaction is to get anxious.
Joining the Bloglovin' community recently (omg, best decision everrrr - it's equalled Instagram in its addictiveness) I found quite a few posts about stress management and general advice about coping. Although most of the advice was pretty obvious, I actually found the posts extremely helpful. Maybe it's because I feel guilty if I tell myself I'm stressed, like I'm not allowed to be, but when other people suggest that it's okay to feel overwhelmed and take a step back from it all, I listened. And it felt good!
Here's one blogger whose post I could definitely relate to. The part about feeling guilty and university was particularly relevant! From Roses is a fantastic blog, and I'd thoroughly recommend taking a look around her site because her content is both beautiful and insightful.
That I was helped by such posts made me want to write this one. As a self-proclaimed stress-head (see above), I hit a new low during my dissertation process. I always knew it would be one of the most intense periods of my university career, but I got so worked up about it that I actually began to make myself ill. Nothing serious, but enough that made me sit up and take notice and realise that it wasn't worth it, stress is simply not worth sacrificing happiness, health and well-being. So this turning point has led me to offer the following advice if you too are a worrier, stress a lot, or just find it difficult to relax...
1. Exercise. I know, I know. Some of you might roll your eyes at this, and I know that some people don't think exercise if for them but believe me - I was one of those people!! About 18 months ago, I wouldn't exercise if you paid me. But then I discovered running and I never looked back. It's become a part of my life and acts as a serious stress-reliever. The power of escaping your worries and running in the countryside is unbeatable.
2. Plug in those headphones, put on your favourite songs, and turn it up. Whether you feel like listening to a calming playlists (there's some great ones on Spotify), or you choose your favourite pop hits, do it without looking at/doing anything else - just listen. If you want to get up and dance, do it! Having a boogie is one of the best stress-busters.
3. Light some candles, get a mug of your favourite hot chocolate and curl up with a book or your favourite program. Go wild and add a bar of chocolate into the mix. Losing yourself in a fictional world is the perfect escape, even if I am biased as a Literature student!
4. Don't isolate yourself. This is easier to do than you realise. Working independently, even when you're surrounded by people, takes its toll and a simple interaction like a half-hour coffee break with friends will do wonders. It'll take your mind away from your worries, give you a chance to laugh and ensure you take a break from your work!
5. Nourish from within. Around the time I got into running, my diet and tastes had a change too. I discovered how good it feels to feed your body with the right foods and nutrients it needs. This is something that easily gets lost when you're stressed because you'll feel like spending time preparing something in the kitchen takes away from productive time spent elsewhere. But if you want your body and brain to perform at its best, there really is no replacing the benefits of good food.
6. Take 10 minutes of total relaxation. If you find yourself on the verge of a complete panic, take a step away and for at least 10 minutes lie down, close your eyes and put all of your concentration into encouraging every muscle in your body to relax. I recently started going to yoga and other well-being classes and the relaxation time at the end is one of my favourite parts. No matter what my worries are, I'm able to forget them in this moment and concentrate on making my body feel more relaxed. On a similar note, don't disregard the power of sleep. The optimum of 7-9 hours per night allows your body to re-energise and gives a new perspective on things in the morning.
I hope these ideas could help you in the way that I've been encouraged by other bloggers to allow myself down time, and not feel guilty about it. I've realised that my well-being and health are super important and now definitely understand that my body needs time out to work at its best.
Are any of you worriers too? What do you all do to relax? Or do you have any tips to help with stress management? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts below!
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