It’s been a crazy time for me these past few days. Something blew up at work last week and I’ve been on damage control since then. I’ve been a total stress case, and super grumpy to anyone that’s had to deal with me, even outside of the office when I’m supposed to be having fun (sorry friends!).
Being stressed sucks, not only because it saps your energy and keeps you from enjoying life in general, but it can also have negative effects on your body. Unless you get the cause of your stress under control, chronic stress can affect your heart, memory retention, how well you sleep, digestion and can cause weight gain [source]. No one wants any of that, and certainly not me!
So I thought I’d take my crappy week and put a positive spin on it by sharing some of my favourite methods to de-stress. When I feel like life is getting a little out of control I:
- call a friend. Having a good support system when you’re stressed is key. Sometimes all it takes is a a few minutes of venting to a sympathetic ear to feel better about a stressful situation. Just make sure you return the favour when your friends need you.
- get some exercise. Exercise has been shown to stimulate the release of endorphins (the happy feel-good chemical) and reduce levels of cortisol (the stress hormones you don’t want). It also improves your self-image, hence why I try to do this regularly anyway. Eating a healthy diet is also important as a healthy body is better equipped to cope with stress and stressful situations.
- laugh. Like exercise, laughing increases the number of endorphins released from your brain and make you feel better. So hang out with your funniest friends, read a comic strip (my fave.. yep, I’m a geek) or troll YouTube for silly cat videos. They say laughter is the best medicine for a reason, ya know.
- shut off your phone/iPad/laptop/technology. Even if it’s just for ten minutes, unplugging from all your devices can have a positive impact on your sanity and those stress levels. No more worrying about not getting a reply on your last Twitter post, or enough likes on Instagram of Facebook! Some suggest meditation during this time, but I can’t sit still long enough. If it works for you, awesome. I think that doing something for yourself (for me it’s as simple as making a cup of tea or lighting an awesome scented candle) can be just as effective though.
- do something for someone else. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy elaborate. Try writing a letter to that friend or relative you haven’t seen in a while, or bring snacks to the office for your coworkers. Focusing your attention on doing something that will brighten someone else’s day means you’re not worrying about your own stress. And personally, it makes me feel good when I know that I’m doing something that makes other people happy.
The one thing I can recommend you NOT do is go shopping. Yeah, they may call it “retail therapy”, but the good vibes you feel after buying a bunch of things on impulse isn’t worth the stress you feel once you’re over it and realize you didn’t really need that seventh pair of black jeans. That’s right, you’ve just replaced one type stress with another one, the financial kind ($$$@#*!!). Try to resist the urge and do something else ’til it passes. Trust, you’ll feel just as good. And so will your wallet.
Stay chill, friends! Now I’m off to stress work.
-C
