Stress Less Revisited: Keeping Stress At Bay

Heya!

For Uni students, as we are getting to the pointy end of the semester and assignments, SWOTVAC and exams are beginning to creep up on us, now is the perfect time to hone your skills when it comes to staying calm and anxiety free.

I am really not a very stress-y person, so when I feel my heart start racing or I start feeling overwhelmed by everything, I start to freak out. These are the things that I found really helped me out in staying cool, calm and collected.

1. Make lists

If all the stuff you have to do is feeling overwhelming, a great way of setting it all out for yourself is to make lists. I do this all the time with my study and with general tasks and jobs that I have to complete. Rather than give yourself specific times to do certain things, make a realistic list of things you can get done in a day or within a certain period of time and work your way through it. Not only does this keep you organised and on track, it's also really satisfying to put a big tick next to each task!

2. Take off the pressure

We all put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do anything and everything, but this is never realistic and it makes us feel unmotivated. Rather than aiming to do everything, set your sights on just doing something; you will start to get stuff done and be able to remain calmer during the process. Follow the 7 minute rule - sit down and get right into your work for 7 minutes. By the end of the 7 minutes you'll either be in the right frame of mind to keep going or you'll know you need to take a break for a while.

3. Work (it) out

Exercise is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G form of stress relief, as long as you find the right form. I find that yoga is great a lot of the time as it's brilliant for calming the body and the mind, but if I'm super stressed yoga sometimes allows my mind to wonder and perhaps even stress more. In times like these I find more physically challenging and team/group orientated activities can help, such as a Boot Camp or a Netball team or, for me, ballet and dance.

4. Phone a friend

Often we think that no body could really understand our problems, but that's hardly ever true! Confide in a friend or family member or teacher or colleague, someone who can listen. It can really help you let off some steam if you get what you're feeling off your chest. If you really don't want to talk to someone, try writing down what you're feeling, what caused you to feel this way and what you can do to help calm yourself down.

5. Let it out

Cry, man. Cry. Let. That. Shit. Go. Honestly, I don't think there is anything wrong with shedding a few tears. For me it helps to acknowledge that yeah, I'm kinda freaking out about how much stuff I have to do right now, but I'll be ready to move on once I've had this little moment to myself. Sometimes it can really feel relieving to admit to yourself that you're having a tough time.

6. Ditch the unnecessary stuff

If you're running around like a headless chicken trying to do every single thing possible, there's no way you're going to get it all done and keep your mental health intact. So prioritise. If something can wait till tomorrow, next week, or next month, don't do it now. If something is not totally important, ditch it and move on. Don't overload yourself.

7. Breathe

Aaaah the oldest trick in the book. Breathe. Take a moment to yourself. Calm yourself down. Get your head together. Take three loooooong breaths and allow yourself to release all the tightness in your body and your mind. Or otherwise try some other form of mindfulness - try colouring in or reading a book for 30 minutes or just doing anything that puts you in a happy, calm state of mind.

8. Catch some Zs

Sleep. It's sooo important for a happy, healthy, productive life. However much stuff you have to do, staying up late to do it is not gonna help! In fact, go to bed earlier than usual and wake up energised and refreshed for another productive day. If you're so stressed that you're struggling to get to sleep, try some chamomile tea and my yoga poses for before bed.

So those are my tips, how about from someone else?

My friend Naomi inspired me in a recent Instagram posts, where she said:

"If there has been anything I've learnt in the past year of dealing with anxiety and depression, it is that meditation/mindfulness followed by sleep are some of the best cures for the short term possible. Even if there is still more things you need to do, or if it is 'too early' in the day to sleep, it is still the best thing to do. YOU and your health are more important than the work. You will not be missing out on anything important by sleeping. If you're feeling shitty, just leave the day behind; because if you're going to waste a day, do it saving your energy rather than becoming drained over a matter you cannot change."

Such wise words!

I hope you find all of this useful and can find a way to ease your mind! Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Insta and all the other things to keep track of what I'm up to.

Stress less my friend!

Namaste