Reducing Stress in This Strange Situation
Finding ways to reduce our stress levels has seldom been more important but there is no denying that alleviating worry is easier said than done. Some of your usual stress relievers may not be available to you now, but to help you out I have created a practical list of tips to help you ease your worries and help with reducing stress.
Find your escapism
We all know that avoiding our problems will not solve them. However, taking a temporary break to focus on something else allows us some time to process. Equally it can offer us a little respite. Whether you are a movie maniac or a book buff, fictional worlds are great ways to find some reprieve and also provide some entertainment.
Bake
A form of stress relief that also offers the chance for some delicious food is a winner in my book! Baking is an excellent distraction and a way to channel your worry into something productive. Make it as simple or as difficult as you like or as sweet or as savoury as you wish. It is entirely up to you and your mood at the time. Beware that it may also be dependent on the ingredients on offer to you!
Exercise your mind
We often talk of physical exercise as an excellent way to reduce stress levels, but your brain is another part of your body that also requires a workout every now and again. There are so many types of stress and one form of it can feel like pressure invading your mind. To distract yourself, focus on something complicated like a crossword or a sudoku that requires your full attention and concentration. There are plenty of these online and you might even find one related to a hobby or topic you like.
Have guilt free break times
Realistically most of our lives are moving at a much slower pace at the moment. However, that definitely does not mean that we are permanently relaxed. Set aside specifically designated times for breaks. When a large proportion of your time is supposed to be spent on one specific thing such as studying, breaks are often associated with a niggling sense of guilt even if we are unconscious of this. Eradicating this by having complete breaks that are not built out of procrastination may help to reduce your stress.
Differentiate the week from the weekend
None of us have the same routine as we used to, but keeping the week separate from the weekend will help you to keep a mental track of time and add a sense of normality. Maybe it is by getting up a little earlier Monday to Friday or planning your activities differently at the weekend. However, you do it you might find it helps to keep on top of things and alleviate the stress that accompanies endless identical days.
Talk to someone
Of this list, there is no doubt that this is one of the tougher tips to actually accomplish, however, it is incredibly worthwhile. Stress can seem like an isolating thing but there is no shortage of people willing to listen. A trusted friend or family member can help you to look at things from a different perspective and offer advice. On the other hand, if required they can also be an important ear to allow you to rant. Bottling up stress no matter how trivial the reasons behind it may seem, will do more harm than good. Talking it out is often one of the best stress busters.
Source the stress
Sometimes you will find you are in a position to minimise the stress yourself. Perhaps it is a particularly strong worry that follows certain things you see in the media or a negative mindset that occurs after chatting to certain people. In this case try to reduce the occasions of this occurring. For example, if you find social media particularly distressing at certain times then try to take regular breaks.
Unfortunately, our current circumstances mean that there is a great deal of stress that is coming from a variety of external sources. We are unable to influence these directly ourselves, but we may be able to limit their affect. If this is the case, speak to someone who may have a suggestion to help reduce your concern or may even be able to point out things that you had not thought about.
Remember that it is perfectly okay not to know where the source of your stress is coming from. It might just be the situation as a whole or it could be a combination of small things that have not quite registered yet. Whatever the source, remember that there is no shame in stress.
How are you working at reducing stress at the moment?