STRESS LESS 

I am in my last year of uni so I think it’s safe to say I am fully aware what stress feels like!

It is the worst thing ever. It zaps you of all your energy and makes your head feel like it’s expanding by the second. It makes you feel sick and can ruin your day to day routine.

At the minute I am juggling quite a lot of work in uni and am starting to get very stressed. I am doing two research projects two lots of coursework and have exams to revise for all while trying to fit in the gym, work and a social life of some sort. To make it worse every bit of work is DEADLINED!!!

Its horrible just thinking about it.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to be on a health kick this year. It’s a personal little goal of mine but when all these stresses build up the last thing I feel like eating is bananas, crackers and broccoli. I want to share some of the ways that help to de-stress me and help me stay on track with my goals and hopefully they might help you too!

The first thing I do to help me manage my stress is to make sure I drink plenty of water all day! This helps me to stay alert when doing uni work and helps with headaches that are very common with stress (for me anyway). Not only does it help to keep your alert but drinking plenty of water can help you stop picking at those unhealthy foods and stay in a positive mind set so you don’t ruin your health kick!

The second thing I do is the 20/20/20 rule. Being in uni I spend a LOT of time staring at the computer and it leads to a lot of strain on my eyes. Your eyes are muscles just like your arms and imagine holding your arms out for hours at at time! They would ache for days. The 20/20/20 rules is every 20 minutes you look at least 20 meters away for 20 seconds. This adjusts your eyes and helps them to relax before returning back to your screen! By doing this you are preventing your stress load by managing frustration and headaches.

The third thing I do to manage my stress load is I stay organised (or at least try to). A few years ago I started buying a planner at the start of every year and each night I write down the main things I need to do the following day! This helps me stay on track And leaves my mind uncluttered.

The fourth thing I do is take time to breathe and relax! Something when I get overwhelmed I like to try different relaxiation and meditation tapes! There are plenty on YouTube to choose from. Taking time for yourself is important and by emptying your mind you wake up feeling fresh and ready to start again! This is perfect to do after a full day of work or uni! Doing this gives your mind a clean slate and a fresh feeling.

The fifth and final thing I do to help me deal with my stress is monitor my sleep! If you know your are up early then go to bed earlier. If you know your not in work or uni until later on in the day and you know you can have a lie in then you can go to bed later. Either way the average amount of sleep and adult should get between 7-9 hours sleep a night. Not being tired makes you feel more positive and open minded! It allows you to concentrate more on things like uni work and be more eager to attend gym sessions and choose healthy foods. It just gives you a whole different outlook and I find little things that usually stress me out tend not to bother me as much when I’m not tired.

These are just a few things I do and I thought I would share them! Stress can come at any point in your life and in any way but you shouldn’t have to deal with it. I hope this helps!

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