P O S I T I V I T Y

stress

I HAVENT POSTED HERE IN A WHILE, HELLO

exams are coming up and we all know how stressful those are so I decided to spread some tips on taking care of yourself

• avoid unhealthy habits . avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. swap these for water , herbal teas, or diluted fruit juices

• indulge in physical activity. stress is often related to the release of hormones for the "flight for fight" system, modern stressors are rarely solved using the flight for fight response. but by engaging in some physical activity you can metabolise the excess hormones and start to feel better

• get some sleep, a lack of sleep is a significant cause of stress , so it's important to try and get some sleep. stress can interfere with sleep and make the situation worse. make sure your room is dark and quiet. try to stay away from the tv, computer, phones, tablet, etc before going to bed. make sure you're comfortable in your clothes and your room is the ideal temperature for you

• don't worry, be happy. I know easier said than done. sometimes you can distract your mind from worrying by keeping yourself busy. even just smiling can lift your mood and release tension. do something that will make you laugh such as watching a comedy show or going out with a friend .

•have realistic expectations . everyone has strengths and weaknesses. learn to use your strengths and accept your weaknesses. if you set yourself unrealistic goals you'll become disappointed when you don't achieve them and make you feel worse.

•don't live in the past. learning from past mistakes is important. holding onto past mistakes and letting them dominate the present is stressful. live life in the present

•learn to say "no". don't let people push you to exhaustion and don't over stretch yourself . learn to say no when you feel you don't have the capacity to do something as well as you would like. don't feel obligated to do something just because you've been asked to do it.

•have some me time. it's important to spend time looking after yourself and doing the things that you enjoy .