We are all in need of ways to relieve stress.
There is so much pressure on us to decide what to do with our lives, to get the best exam results, or to look a certain way. Sitting with these feelings of stress is uncomfortable, right angels?
Everyone experiences stress, some people are able to conceal these feelings so you would never know.
But I promise you they’re still there.
Some stress is good for you. By prompting us to work more efficiently to reach our goals. It can be the motivation that some of us need to complete an assignment, or that dreaded task which you’ve been avoiding.
What if I told you that there are a handful of simple stress relievers which can help you to live a happier life.
You owe it to yourself to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Take advantage of these simple tasks and begin manifesting a happier life.
Why wait?
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Identify Your Stresses
It isn’t always apparent when stress is the cause of changes in your day to day life. Some common signs of stress include:
- Headaches
- Muscle pain
- Chest pain
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Heightened anxiety
- Appetite changes
- Fatigue
By identifying stressful factors in our lives, we are able to address these straight away.
Now, here are some simple stress relievers for you to manifest for a happier and healthier life.
To do lists with priority
To do lists are perfect for organising any tasks that we need to complete, if they are used correctly. Writing down what you need to do on its own is not enough to tick through that list. You need to order your to do lists by priority.
Ask yourself:
‘What is the deadline for this work?’
‘Can this be pushed back?’
‘How much time should I spend on this?’
‘What can I sacrifice to free up some time?’
Answering these questions will help you to organise your tasks by importance, and allow you to allocate your time appropriately. For example, if I have a lot of assignments to complete, I will delay working on my scheduled blog posts to allow me to meet my deadlines first.
Work efficiently
Sometimes I can sit down at my desk for hours and get close to nothing done.
Sound familiar?
In these moments we need to remind ourselves that half an hour of solid work (without distractions) is better than three hours of work with distractions and no focus.
It can also be painful, forcing yourself to sit down and start working when you want to do anything but that. In this case, aim to complete two minutes of work. Once you achieve this, aim for another two minutes. Before you know it, you’ll be in your rhythm and driven to finish the task at hand.
Use the unfollow button
The unfollow button is yours.
It is important to make a habit of unfollowing any account on your feed which makes you feel low, unhappy or bad about yourself.
Say no
Having too much on your plate can become overwhelming very quickly, causing greater amounts of stress than you had to start with. By politely saying no when you are asked to take on further tasks, you are consciously making the decision to put your mental health first. This is an extremely valuable habit to form to minimise mental stress.
Ask for help
Reaching out to others for help can really take some weight off of your shoulders. I am regularly astounded by the kindness which I receive from those that read my blog.
Positive self talk
During my mental health recovery, somebody told me that if hurting myself was going to work it would have done a long time ago. Why not see what happens when you treat yourself with love and kindness?
Speaking positive affirmations into the universe can feel unnatural and staged, so I have made the habit of reading a statement from my self care box out loud each morning and evening, as I complete my skincare and makeup routines.
Here are some of my favourite affirmations:
- I will not worry about things I can’t control.
- I am proud of who I am becoming.
- I am becoming the best version of myself.
Call a loved one
Lastly, calling loved ones to support you in difficult times, is just as useful and important as sharing and celebrating achievements together. Appreciating these relationships can be a powerful stress reliever. Also, as the coronavirus has caused so much suffering and devastation this year, we are reminded of how valuable and precious our moments together are.
How do you manage stress in your life, and which stress relievers do you make use of?
Let me know in the comments below!
Below are links to websites that can help you, if you are struggling with your mental health. Please know that you are worthy of love, support and recovery.
These are such useful tips to reduce anxiety. I personally have been intentional about positive self talk and about prioritizing items on my to do list.
These are some really great ideas for relieving stress! For me, I try to work efficiently and not let myself get stressed over things I can’t do or change, and I have taught myself that it is okay to say no to things that may cause me more stress! Thank you for sharing this post 🙂
Hello Maddie,
Thank you very much! I am so proud of you for reaching those milestones!
Love Casey x
Fantastic advice. I especially have to reiterate the importance of saying NO instead of being the YES man all the time. People-pleasing behavior is by far the biggest stressor.
Hello Nyxie,
Thank you! It is indeed. This is a really useful habit to manifest in yourself.
Love Casey x
These are great tips to reduce stress, thanks for sharing your suggestions Casey! I love those affirmations, talking to ourselves with positive and encouraging words can make such a big difference. It’s so important to keep in touch with loved ones too, especially during this challenging time so thanks for the reminder! Hope you are having a nice weekend <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Hello Bexa,
Thank you so much! I hope that you are well and having a lovely weekend yourself!
Love Casey x
I love how this post is wrote in a really simple and easy way to digest the information and take it in. So many mental health blog posts are so overwhelming and long that I struggle to take everything in. You’ve made some really fab points here that can help so many of us. One thing I really need to work on is ‘I will not worry about things I can’t control’ … I spend so much of my time worrying about things that I cannot control and I desperately need to work on this. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Hello Charlotte,
Thank you so much for your kind comment, you’ve made my day! That is a really important affirmation to reinforce in yourself, well done for taking those difficult steps! I hope that you are well!
Love Casey x
This is great advice. Right now many people are feeling the stress even more than usual – overwhelmed by working from home, homeschooling/online education, the financial impact of the current situation, potential medical concerns, worry for the safety of their families, etc. It’s a lot! In order to effectively deal with this while still protecting our mental health, we need to learn positive coping mechanisms like those you listed.
Hello Britt,
Thank you! The pandemic has caused so much anxiety, stress and grievance for all of us. I hope that you are well! Take care of yourself and I am here if you need to talk.
Love Casey x
These are such important points. I believe that positive self-talk is probably the most important one. Great reminder, thank you for sharing. x
Hello Giulia,
Thank you very much!
Love Casey x
Saying no is so important! I think often with anxiety you feel pressured to say yes to everything but it can actually make things worse at times so it’s important to know your limits and say no when you need to. Thanks for sharing, these are some great tips 🙂
I need to be better with the unfollow suggestion. It would be helpful and I need to stop being concerned about my follows as well, especially on Instagram. I get numerous follows a week yet my numbers remain about the same lol. It’s a trip.
These are really great tips that can make such a big difference. I need to work on ‘saying no’ – I’m someone who will agree to do more even when I don’t have the time / energy and I recognise its something I need to cut out!
Emily xx
http://www.underthescottishrain.com
Coming from someone who has suffered with high stress and is only just learning how to properly handle it – I love this post! Thank you so much for sharing these tips 🙂
The unfollow button has been an important one for me and realising that it isn’t about being rude, it’s about tailoring my following to what helps me and what I want to see/read. Especially in the current pandemic, there’s no better time to review who you follow and what’s beneficial for you to be popping up on your feed. Some great tips here!
Some great ideas within this post. Saying no and being comfortable with saying no is definitely something that I need to work on. I always try to call my parents for a chat when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed. It seems to ground me. Even if they’re just wittering about what they’ve recently bought from the shop or something mundane. It’s home and helps make me feel better.
Yasss love all these suggestions! I use a to-do list every day and I couldn’t be without one – I’d be SO stressed without it! xxx
Love love love this post! So many helpful and useful tips to help relieve stress. You’ve raised so many valuable points that I literally had to stop myself from shouting ‘yes, yes, yes!’ at my computer screen haha. I especially loved the one about ‘During my mental health recovery, somebody told me that if hurting myself was going to work it would have done a long time ago.’ and ‘In these moments we need to remind ourselves that half an hour of solid work (without distractions) is better than three hours of work with distractions and no focus.’ These are definitely two things I want to keep in mind. I always tend to beat myself up about the fact I don’t get ‘enough’ done. Such a great post xx
Lauren | itslaurenvictoria.co.uk
These are some great ideas to relieve stress Casey! It’s so important to say no once in a while and allow time to focus on yourself once in a while x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Hiya Lucy,
Thank you so much! It really is. I hope that you’re well lovely!
Love Casey x
Such great advice. I always say to people that saying NO is not a bad thing. I used to be one of those YES guys and then I got overpowered by all the work that kept coming at me and it led to me slipping up on targets. NO is definitely a way to relieve stress and stay on course. Love the tips.
Hello Rohan,
Thank you! I’m pleased that you are able to say no for your mental health!
Love Casey x
I love this post so much, you are so right!!
These are great tips! I’ve used the unfollow button both in my weight loss “journey” (to unfollow super unhealthy food buiness, no matter how how much I really really want to eat there!) but also people that just frustrate me!
I also like the tip about working when you’re productive. There are days I’ll sit at my desk and twiddle my thumbs – I know what I need to do yet I can’t bring myself to do it. Or I start and it’s just done rubbish. Yet there are other days I can sit down and do amazing work in the space of two hours. The mind / body is really amazing(and frustrating!) like this!
I’ve finally figured out sometimes I just need to step away and “reload” myself. Whether its going to make a coffee, for a walk around the block, or just to stretch. It can sometimes help me get back in that “working” mindset!
Great tips!
So many great tips in this post! I have definitely noticed myself feeling stressed and more anxious when working from home. It is a new territory and I’m very much trying to use positive self-talk to reduce my stress. I am definitely going to be using some more of these tips though! Thanks for sharing!
Grace xx
gracexkate.com
Hiya Grace,
Thank you! I’ve also found adjusting from my normal routines to be difficult. I really hope that these tips can help you to feel more in control and stress-free.
Love Casey x
Yes to all of this! Knowing and setting our boundaries, through saying “no” or asking for help, is a piece often missed in stress management. Thanks for the reminder to give ourselves permission to do this. x