Stress: Is that your Major?
Sharing what has helped me in managing stress
With all that workload and the pandemic all around, it’s hard to stay calm and stress-free right?
Meeting deadlines, trying hard to be productive during such difficult times makes it even more stressful. A lot of us even overwork ourselves thinking that’s the best way to stay positive and away from the chaos.
Amidst all these disturbances, we forget something very important. Do you know what?
Ourselves — Our mental health.
Rolling your eyes and trying to ignore “mental health” as if it’s a stigma? Please come out of that mindset if you truly want to see yourself happy. Happy, not just being able to say that but to feel that.
If you are reading this article, I assume you are trying to seek help or improve your mental health.
Well, I am not an expert but, I have gone through all that and can tell you what has helped me and what has made the condition worse so that you can avoid all the mistakes I have committed.
1. Acceptance
Accepting your mental health condition is the first step to treating it. Here is where I went wrong. I tried to ignore what I was going through, tried to ignore what my mind kept on saying. It screamed for help but I kept going on subduing my feelings, acting strong.
But did that help? Definitely not. “Fake it till you make it” doesn’t go with everything. The sooner you understand the fact, the better and stress-free your life will be.
So, how can just accepting your mental health condition help?
Well, if you keep ignoring yourself, will you put effort into trying to help and come out of your sufferings? Ask yourself and you will get the answer.
2. Have your Me-time
I can not stress enough how important it is to take out some time for yourself every day, no matter how busy you are!
There must be things you love doing.
Do you notice how happy you get while doing what you love? How thinking about eating your favorite food fills you with joy? Does that contribute to your stress or reduce it?
Make a routine every day to treat yourself. Have your me-time, watch your favorite movie, go out for a walk. Do anything you love every day and trust me, you will thank yourself in the future.
3. Gratitude
Practicing gratitude might look silly, but it is a very powerful technique.
When you start appreciating the smalls things that you have in your life, you start feeling better and happier. You no more feel the lack of anything. Gratitude can help in reducing stress and anger.
Being grateful and thankful for all that you have can help even during the worst times. Build a morning routine of recognizing the things you are grateful for and thank the universe.
4. Sleep
Do I need to say how sleeping can help you? No matter what you go through, getting some sleep uplifts the mood.
What causes stress? Not getting enough sleep!
It is important to look at your sleep schedules. A sufficient amount of sleep is important to stay healthy both mentally and physically.
It is quite natural to not be able to sleep while you are stressed. What you can do to calm yourself down is, breathing and meditating before going to bed. I have always underrated the power of mindful breathing. Don’t be me!
You can also take a quick shower or make yourself some herbal tea. Chamomile tea is my favorite! Herbal teas are amazing at relaxing the nerves and reducing stress and anxiety and promotes sound sleep.
5. Drive that stress away with your moves!
Move your body. Be it going for a walk, exercising at home, or dancing, just do it.
Any kind of exercise can help reduce the stress hormones of the body. Moving your body also elevates and uplifts the mood by releasing some hormones called endorphins. Endorphins are known as natural pain killers and can help boost positivity.
6. Vent out
Lastly, when you can’t hold it all to yourself, vent out. Do not force yourself to hold on to things that hurt. Sharing and letting go can instantly make you feel better and more relaxed.
Start loving yourself, more and more, every day, and make that a habit.
Remember, this is a phase and it will get over real soon. Don’t be hard on yourself.