How to Stay Positive During Stressful Times
During stressful times, it can be easy to become so consumed by situations and circumstances that we’re almost not ourselves anymore.
When we’re so overwhelmed by what’s going on around us, it can be hard to focus on what really matters, so we attempt to spin every plate and become confused when we’re struggling to keep them all spinning. This article will give you tips on how to ‘keep calm and carry on’ during times of increasing pressure.
Exercise
Through exercise, you can refocus your mind on other things aside from the things that are bringing you stress. Changing your focus for a while can be a good way of mentally minimizing the scale of the situation since you’d be thinking about other things. Exercise is also a great way of releasing tension from the body. You could do high-intensity exercise like boxercise or circuit training, or something more on the side of mindfulness like yoga or pilates. Mindfulness exercises can help reduce blood pressure and bring your mind to a place of stillness. Simple breathing exercises can also reduce stress by moderating blood pressure and heart rate.
Get Outside
You might be surprised at how much a little bit of fresh breeze can do for you. Simply going outside and feeling with wind on your skin and having exposure to natural light can make you feel so much better. Did you know that the more vitamin D we absorb, the better we feel? That means the longer we spend in natural light, the better we are likely to feel. Being outside and having a change of scenery can take you out of the immediate stress for a moment and allow your mind to relax and recover.
Eat Well & Stay Hydrated
Although comfort eating is a well-known symptom of stress, eating a good, balanced, healthy diet during stressful times can actually help reduce stress. This is because a balanced diet balances out the sugar levels and hormones that activate our ‘fight or flight response. Once these are balanced, we will generally feel less on edge and as a result, less stressed, as we won’t have a ‘fight or flight’ response to everyday situations.
Celebrate the Small Wins
‘Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down’. Its good to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel or the crack in the clouds. Being able to find some positivity amongst everything happening is helpful in times of stress. Knowing that you’re still being productive, there’s still something to be happy about, and that there will eventually be an end to the stress can really help uplift our moods. It’s always helpful to remember that things won’t always be the way they are, and they will get better, and even if you have to give all of your attention to the stressful situation for a while, it won’t always be the place where your focus will be forever. At some point, there’ll be a time of rest where you’re able to slow down and recharge.
Get Some Sleep
Sleep can be one of the first things to go when we’re stressed because things are on our mind so much that they rob us of our sleep. It can really turn into a vicious cycle with stress as we become more stressed because we’re not sleeping, then not sleeping more because we’re stressed. Instead of getting stuck in the cycle, try your best to do something to clear your mind before bed so that you sleep easier. We would recommend activities like journaling, or using mindfulness apps like Calm or Abide. If these methods don’t work and sleep deprivation is becoming an issue for you, you could speak to your GP for more options.
Learn How to Prioritise
Sometimes we’re the cause of our own stress, because we try and do too much at once. When you hit a point of stress, try to make a time to sit down and have a reshuffle. Not everything you’re tyring do now needs to be done now. Have a look at what needs to be done immediately and what can wait until later. Once you take time to make a mental priority list, write it down and put it somewhere visible so it will remind you everyday to take it easy. Reminding yourself whats important will take a lot of weight off of your shoulders.
