If Only You Knew | Dealing with Stress

Hey Guys,

If only you knew. This is my new series of posts all to do with serious topics that are important to me. I previously called this series, 'on a serious note' but I felt that "if only you knew" was more relevant because the topics I will talk about are things that people usually hide. It is something people don't really want to talk about and just hide it all away. Reasons why are because it creates these insecurities and makes people fear of what other people may think. I started compiling these since April 2015 and I really didn't have the confidence to post them because I thought it may not be what people want to read. But I thought why not take a risk, if it is something that I'm proud of making then share it, because there will be people out there who can relate even if it is just that one person. 
To start this series I thought of something many people can relate to; dealing with stress. 

"Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. Pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope." Everyone has to deal with stress however some people react in different ways to stress. For example, a situation may be stressful to one person and another may use it as motivation.

Stress is often caused by difficult situations that get your heart pounding ready to fight or flee from the danger ahead. Some causes of stress may be:

• Work or School
• Financial problems
• Relationship difficulties 
• Family or Friends
• Major life changes
• Being too busy

Stress can affect a person in different ways. 
Common signs of stress are: 

• Sleeping difficulties 
• Sweating 
• Loss of appetite 
• Difficulty concentrating

Once you have noticed the changes, you can change your lifestyle to feel more relaxed. 

How to deal with stress: 

• Take it step by step- try to solve one problem at a time. Don't pile up your problems and try and solve them all at once. 
• Distract yourself- be active, go out with friends, go shopping or go for a run
• Comfort eating- EAT! Nothing's better than eating whilst you are stressed.  
• Take Control- don't let stress control you. Don't let yourself overthink and don't apply too much pressure on yourself. Stop, breathe and think simplistically. 
• Use a diary- work out what triggers your stress; how you operate under pressure and develop better coping mechanisms
• Set Goals- Make a list of things to do. This will allow you to take some of the pressure off your shoulders as you will have certain deadlines to do specific things making you more organised and less stressed. 
• Relax- have time for yourself, go do something you enjoy or simply have a bath. 
• Be optimistic- Being positive can automatically make you less stressed. This is as you are thinking from a different angle. Remind yourself that everything will be good in the end because after every storm is a rainbow. 
• Sleep! Getting rest is the best way to get rid of stress. Having a good nights sleep allows you to view the situation from a clearer angle. 

So when you are having a stressful day at uni/ school or work just remember to breathe and remain calm.
Have a lovely day.

~JJ~