Hey, y'all! I'm so sorry for the recent lack of posts. My stress load has been crazily high recently, and Caroline and Belle are both insanely busy, too. :) If I might ask a favor, would you please keep me in your prayers? College, school, and all my other activities are starting to catch up with me, and it's really hard. Thank you so much! I'll continue praying for y'all! <3
Five Ways to De-Stress
Although not our normal Fashion Friday, I do believe this is a post we all can relate to and probably need right now. Too often do I start thinking about the ever-increasing list of to-do's that need to be attended to, and soon I feel completely over my head, like I won't ever be able to finally cross everything out on my list and just...breathe. To me, free time seems an extinct concept. This is what I call MAKING THINGS WORSE. I know we all do it. We all sit down and start to think about what needs to be done with the good intention of propelling ourselves to work harder! But you know what happens? We freak ourselves out, probably start to cry (if you're like me), and feel utterly helpless.
| Usually starts out like this... |
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| Which is accompanied by this... |
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| And...you get the idea. |
1. Take a 5-10 minute walk.
If you live in state with comfortable weather (and even if it is a bit chilly), I recommend that you dash outside for a quick walk (or at least get outside for a bit)! Don't make it a really long walk as you'll get back and scold yourself for wasting time. If you happen upon a friend during the walk, just tell them you wanted to take a quick break and you're really sorry, but you truly have no time to chat! This is a time for YOU. Go outside, breathe, look at nature... On the scientific side, walking produces endorphins, which in turn battles stress hormones. ;)
2. BREATHE DEEPLY.
This is my automatic go-to de-stressing habit. Breathe deeply. Fill your lungs entirely. I actually have a particular way of breathing. xD I breathe in deeply for four counts. I then hold my breath for seven counts. Finally, I release my breath to a total of eight counts. Shallow breathing itself is a mark of stress. Therefore, by breathing deeply, you are showing your body you are not stressed. Thus, your body will be less likely to go into "stress mode" if you follow my logic.
3. Disconnect.
When I am stressed, my brain just kind of...shuts down. It goes into freak out mode. It starts saying, "I can't." That is a very, very dangerous saying. The way I combat this is that I disconnect. Put your phone away. Close your computer. Go sit down somewhere and do some homework that requires reading. You will be away from temptation and will be more likely to accomplish a great deal of work, which then makes you feel better! :)
4. Eat a piece of fruit. DON'T TOUCH THOSE CHIPS.
If you are like the rest of the world, your instinct when you are stressed might be to reach for something to snack on to distract your mind. But, then, you feel guilty later.... You smack yourself, you feel sick, you feel worse. If you desperately need something to snack on, grab a bag of dried fruit, a clump of grapes, a banana (Bananas have been scientifically proven to help lessen stress. Science fact of the day, yo.). Fruit, fruit, fruit. Fruit is good for you, and it won't leave your stomach mad at you.
5. Time yourself.
This might seem a little confusing. "Time yourself, Mercy? So I can see how incredibly slow I am and feel worse about myself???" No. No, no, no. I want you to do step 3 (DISCONNECT FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE) first. Once you are away from distractions, tell yourself, "I am going to do _insert subject_ for 30 minutes." THEN DO IT. Do that subject, only that subject, the entire time. Once 30 minutes are up, see how far you've gotten. If you feel you are on a roll with that subject, great! Set another timer for 30 minutes and continue! If you are finished with the subject, even better! Move on to the next! Whatever you do, though, do not stay on a subject for two hours that frustrates you to no end. That will make it worse. If you are having trouble with a subject, stop. Put the book away. Do another subject. Come back later with a fresh mind and fresh aspect. By following this step, you will be able to physically see what you are accomplishing, which is the best de-stresser I can give you. :)
Well, there you go! My top five steps to lessen your load of stress. Just remember, my dears. Keep your chin up. Ask my friends; that is my no. 1 piece of advice. If you look down, hunch your shoulders, sit in a defeated pose, you will feel defeated. When you feel defeated, the fight is already over. My approach is to keep your chin up! Stare life straight in the face, square your shoulders, take a deep breath, and tell life that you are the winner. Don't let life run you; you run life.
And because I always have a somewhat relevant quote...
Pretty much me right now. But this time...I'm going to try and follow my own advice. Do it with me, please?
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