TIPS TO RELIEVE STRESS

A little different post from me today.

It is a well known fact that we all have those days where things can just get on top of us and we just become stressed to the MAX and everything seems to be going completely wrong! Whether it's work related, family, the love-life, friends, school etc etc it can sometimes get all too much. Do you find that you become stressed really easily and/or often and never know what to do to stop this from happening and the situation tends to have a bad outcome or get worse? Then I have a few quick and easy tips for you to help relieve some of the stresses we can face day-to-day and to stop them happening as often or maybe at all! Thank goodness right?

1. Take time out: Sometimes when you're in a stressful situation it's best for yourself and for others involved if you take time out from it and remove yourself from the cause of the stress. This gives you time to think and reflect on the situation. It also helps you calm down. Once you have taken time out, go back to the situation that caused you the stress and tackle it head on. You will more than likely find that you approach it in a completely different way than before and will have a more positive outcome. (Of course this can only be used if the situation allows you to i.e. I do not advise you do this during an exam cos yeah .. awkward!)

2. Do some exercise: When I am stressed I usually find doing some exercise helps me to focus and calm down. It is a known fact that when you exercise your body releases positive hormones and chemicals from your brain which can help boost your mood and your self esteem. You don't have to go for a hardcore 2 hour gym cardio sesh (unless you really want to), it can simply be going for a long walk/jog or a bike ride. Anything to help boost your mood and clear your head. Fresh air is good for you.

3. Listen to some music: Don't have time to go exercise or it's just not your thing? Then listen to some music! Music is a great way of helping you feel better and boosting your mood. Sometimes music can also bring back positive and good memories that you have experienced which is also a positive boost. So grab your fave cheesy old school CD for the car journey home and belt out that power ballad with the window down, grab your iPod and play your fave spotify playlist and play that shit LOUD! When I'm stressed, I find the louder the music is the better. Maybe the neighbours won't appreciate it though so be careful. Also, please avoid the sad, soppy, slow love song playlists - they ain't helping ANYONE and will only make you worse, trust me.

4. Focus on the positives: This may be one of the hardest tips to master. We are automatically programmed to focus on the negatives, especially in a rubbish or stressful situation so it may be quite difficult to see ANY positives. But they will be there somewhere, hiding amongst all that crap, trust me! Get a pen and a piece of paper and write down at least 10 positive things. Yep, 10 things may seem a lot and it's difficult when you first try it but you'll be surprised when you get started at how many positive things you can come up with. Then read them out loud and only focus on them. You're smiling now aren't you? Thought so.

5. Get plenty of sleep: Think you may have a stressful day ahead the next day? A job interview? A serious talk with the boss? An exam or a test? Then REST UP. It's proven that if you don't get enough rest the night before then chances are your stress levels are gonna rocket during any scenario thrown at you. Get at least 8 hours kip a night and avoid staring at your phone/social media before sleeping as this only makes you more restless. Read a book or listen to some music/radio before you sleep to help you relax and unwind. It helps.

6. Eat and drink right: A healthy balanced diet will help keep those stress levels down as well. Although it might seem all too easy to come in and grab that massive family-sized bar of chocolate, the multi-pack bag of your fave crisps or the temptation of a large big mac meal with extra fries and stuff your face until you feel sick after having what seems like the worst day on the planet, your body and yourself will not be thankful for it in the long term. Life is all about finding balance and if your body is feeling good with what you're putting in to it, it'll also show positives on the outside and by your actions. Bananas help with stress and are very good for you so grab one of them instead of that chocolate bar. We are supposed to drink about 8 glasses of water a day, but I myself find this difficult so I just try and drink as much as I can. The more you drink the better you'll feel. Goodbye sore heads and black circles! But please, don't forget to treat yourself now and again, you are allowed.
(If you guys would like a healthy eating post I can cover more in-depth about positive foods etc there, just let me know)

7. The trusty bubble bath: After a really long, horrible, stressful day, sometimes there's nothing better than lighting a few candles and running yourself a lovely hot bubble bath with your favourite bath bomb. Why not right? It helps you to relax and also have a better sleep. Bliss!



Hopefully some of these small tips will help some of you with your stresses and strains of day-to-day life.
Until next time!

Lynsey x


*disclaimer: all opinions are my own,  no copyright infringement intended. I am not a professional and nor do I perceive to be. If you are really struggling with stress you should seek help from your local GP.