I think feeling stressed is unfortunately just part and parcel of being an adult and dealing with all of the things that life throws our way - but regardless, it's really not nice and can impact our lives in lots of negative ways. I know that when I'm stressed, I get acne all over my upper back and I feel really down, with no motivation to get on with even the smallest of tasks. Learning to deal with stress and finding coping mechanisms that work for you is so important, whilst they probably won't eliminate your stress completely, it's just about being able to deal with your situation a little bit better. If you struggle to cope when you're feeling stressed, I've put together a list of things that help me lift that heavy feeling. Have a read of the below and hopefully you'll find something that may help you too.
talking it out
I find it really hard to talk to anyone about how I'm feeling, but it always, always makes me feel better. Sometimes if a certain situation is making me feel really stressed out, having a rant about it in one of my group chats, or talking to my parents or my boyfriend just helps me get some of that stress off my chest. I find this works well for me as I also suffer with anxiety and I can overthink so much that my head feels like it's going to explode and talking it out really helps me to slow down a little and think about things a bit more logically. If you don't feel you have anyone you're close enough to and feel comfortable talking to, you can always just chat to a doctor or even a bunch of strangers online. There's always someone out there who's happy to lend a listening ear, and there's plenty of forums and facebook groups for problem solving!
You can also get professional help from a therapist if necessary. Sometimes you just need trained objective person to help you get a fresh perspective. You may find that the things you are stressing over have a solution. Go in and talk to a professional from an organization such as The Awareness Center so they can help you cope with what you are facing.
changing your mindset
Often when I'm in a really stressful place, I try and look at it from a different perspective and try and tell myself that, what will be will be. Sometimes it's just about accepting that life works in mysterious ways and in the end, everything will be okay and work itself out. It's really hard to convince yourself that this is the case when you're thinking the worst and feeling down, but in my case it's always been true and I just try to remember that. The Mental Health Foundation has some great faqs about how to manage and reduce stress too.
distractions
If you're feeling overwhelmed by stress, sometimes what you really need is a distraction to take your mind off everything for a while. Finding distractions can help you feel more calm which in turn helps you approach any kind of situation better, with a clearer head. I find doing the things I enjoy the most help to distract me. I'll often just chill out on the sofa with a bit of Netflix and my little boy, or I'll blast some of my favourite playlists to help lift my mood. Doing something fun such as playing games can be a great stress relief too, as you're distracting yourself by putting all of your focus on something else. There's some great websites for free online games such as Plays.org which has loads of games that you can play by yourself or with your little ones. Ru loves playing Pipe Mania which is a multi-level puzzle game where you have to connect the pipes together. I find it really relaxing to sit with him on my knee and watch him playing it, and it's just that quality time together that instantly starts to relieve any stress that I'm feeling. We also love playing Snakeland together, you can't beat a classic game of Snake, it brings back so many childhood memories for me! Speaking of classic, check out this unique version of freecell featuring mindfulness prompts from Solitaired.
clearing your head
I don't think I've ever come across anyone in my life time that doesn't enjoy a walk outside to clear their head when they're feeling a bit stressed. I find heading into the outdoors such a stress reliever, and sometimes that means not even leaving my car. Just going for a drive with the windows down can be as effective as a walk can be. I love driving out into the countryside and stopping for a walk in the middle of nowhere. It's so peaceful and it's quite literally a breath of fresh air, and that's all you sometimes need. If you live in North Yorkshire, I wrote a post that features some lovely places to visit!
How do you cope with stress?
