Hey, gummy bears! For a while now, I've been trying to think of ways to bring a breath of fresh air to my little blog. I love reviewing products and babbling on about makeup, but sometimes I feel like that's all I ever do. I truly enjoy reading more personal, heartfelt posts on other blogs, so I've decided to try and share some of my own. Today, I'd like to talk a little more about something that affects even the best of us - stress, pressure and anxiety. I don't know about you, but I'm a massive worrier by nature. I tend to stress out about pretty much everything, and I let things get to me too easily. I think this is something that a lot of people can relate to, though. Sometimes things get tough, and it's easy to let life get the best of us. Even the most positive people out there have moments of weakness and feeling down, and it's perfectly normal to feel those emotions. It's also important to maintain control over those feelings, instead of letting them control you. Everyone is different, and we all cope with difficult situations in our own ways. Still, I thought I'd share a few things that help me deal with stress and anxiety - hopefully you will find them helpful, too!
#1 LEARNING TO COMPARTMENTALIZE
The way I see it, compartmentalization is all about being able to put your feelings, worries and concerns exactly where they belong. If, like myself, you tend to worry and dwell on things, you may find it difficult to just 'switch off' after a stressful day. I think that in life, it's important to keep things like work/school and personal life separate, as much as possible. For instance, if you have an argument with your boyfriend - leave it at home and don't let it affect your mood at work. If you had a stressful week at work, leave your worries there and don't let it ruin your weekend. It's all about understanding and accepting that sometimes, things happen that are simply out of our control, and there is no point worrying about them - at least for the time being. This is incredibly difficult, but I do believe that it's a skill that can be learned over time. It's only human to worry and stress over things that matter to us, but at the end of the day - you're in control, and it's up to you how much you let those emotions affect you.
If you find yourself worrying about something - an upcoming job interview, exams, a date, anything - try and think about whether there is anything you can do about the situation in a given moment. Is there anything you can do right now that will make you feel better about it? If not, then what's the point in worrying? Leave all your troubles where they belong, and don't let a bad yesterday (or a potentially bad tomorrow!) ruin a good today.
#2 WRITING DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS
I find that whenever I start feeling a little stressed out, it really helps to just write down all my thoughts and emotions in a journal. I often start worrying about something, then end up imagining all the worst scenarios and get really caught up in my own thoughts. Writing things down can be really therapeutic - it helps to channel all that 'noise' going on in your head when things get stressful. By writing things out, you're trying to explain and understand your emotions, and you might actually come up with some answers and solutions as you do it. It's all part of getting to know yourself better, which I believe is the key to being able to manage your emotions. You can write down your feelings, thoughts, dreams - anything at all that's going through your head. Be honest with yourself, and write down all your thoughts as they flow. Some people like to do this on a computer, but personally, I find it relaxing to keep handwritten entries in a little notebook. It also gives you something nice to look back on after a few months, or even years - you can see how far you've come, and reflect on past experiences.
#3 TAKING SOME TIME OUT FOR YOURSELF
Earlier in this post, I talked about the importance of 'switching off' and leaving your worries where they belong. This can be incredibly difficult, and I find that it can be really helpful to give yourself something to look forward to whenever you're going through a difficult time. For instance, if you have something stressful coming up like an important exam or a job interview, try to plan something nice in advance that will keep you motivated. It could be something like a weekend road trip, a little shopping spree or a holiday. It doesn't all need to be expensive, though. For me, thinking about a lazy pyjama Sunday, a film night and making pizzas with my boyfriend is enough to get me through a stressful week at work. Give yourself something to look forward to and focus on it - it will really help you to keep positive, knowing that there is something good waiting for you at the end of it.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this slightly different post! I think that the main thing to take away from this is that everyone has to cope with stress from time to time, and it's okay to not always feel positive about everything in life. Whilst there are ways of managing those feelings in a healthy way - we are all human, and it's perfectly fine to feel those emotions in the first place. At the end of the day, whatever you're going through - things will always get better, and those experiences will make you a stronger, better person. I think that being honest with yourself, accepting those feelings and learning to let things go are the key to coping with stress and pressure. I hope that you found my tips at least a little helpful! There are so many more things I'd love to talk about, but I don't really want to commit to this whole lifestyle thing as a series, yet. I would be happy to do more lifestyle posts, as long as you would like to read them, so please, let me know your thoughts. :)
How do you deal with stress and pressure?
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