Stress is an unavoidable part of everyday life this is especially true nowadays as we’re still dealing with a global health crisis. The Victorian Education Minister created a proposal that would factor the current crisis into student’s grades. this underscores how prevalent stress is these days. But while stress might be unavoidable, it’s still up to us to take care of ourselves and make sure this stress doesn’t get the best of us.
Managing stress as it comes can help free up your mental space so that you can get more work done. To that end, keep reading below to find out ways you can stress less and do more.
Reach out to someone
When you become stressed, there’s a tendency to isolate yourself and burrow within. This makes it all the more important to reach out when you’re feeling frazzled. A report by the Sydney Morning Herald underscores the effects of loneliness as an epidemic in itself despite all our digital connectedness. So it’s important to realise that you aren’t alone. You don’t have to necessarily talk about your struggles with your friend or family member if you don’t want to. But just having a quick chat can make you feel a lot better.
Take a break
Stress is a warning sign from your body telling you to slow down. Once you find yourself in a state where you’re unable to concentrate on the task at hand, perhaps it’s worth taking a quick 10 to 15-minute break. You can have a quick power nap, hang out in your backyard, or even just grab a quick drink of water. To make your break as meaningful as possible, be sure to step away from your electronics. After all, leaving your laptop in the room but gluing yourself to your phone will just keep straining your eyes and might make you feel worse.
Try a breathing exercise
The tricky thing about stress is that it can creep on you when least expected, even when you’re in the middle of an important task. To get yourself sorted out quickly, Pain Free Working has compiled a list of breathing exercises to help you manage stress. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is worth trying out: breathe in for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and breathe out for eight seconds. Even just focusing on keeping these counts is enough to take your brain off of whatever you’re currently struggling with.
Get moving
Aside from breathing exercises, you can also opt to do a light workout to get your blood flowing and help you feel energised. All exercise is good for the body, regardless if you spend 10 minutes or two hours on it. Self’s guide to quick and efficient workouts lists moves like squats, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, and push ups as something you can do in order to keep your mind sharp. These body weight moves can also be easily modified for people who want to take it slow or go up a notch in their routine!
Watch what you eat
Watching what you eat isn’t just about weight loss. Indeed, eating the right food can help you boost your mood! Rather than scarfing down a packet of crisps that might make you feel sluggish, make a sandwich out of whole wheat bread, peanut butter, and a banana. You’ll quickly realise that eating healthy food (as opposed to those that are heavily processed) will make you feel a lot better and more alert.
We at Listen 4 Life know how difficult it is to deal with anxiety and stress. The next time you feel like you need to take a step back and de-stress, just remember these top tips to help set you on the right track.
Written by Amalia Jane Cheney
Exclusive for listen4life.com