May is over, and so are the exams. I survived - luckily - but not with some collateral damage to my stress-levels. As I can imagine all of us crashed on the couch, drinking tea and binge watching all of our favourite TV-shows, here are 6 ways to de-stress for a fresh start on Monday.
1. Take a long, hot bath or shower
Six months ago, my dad installed a bath in our bathroom, and oh my, have I enjoyed that thing. Running it takes ages, but when I get in the hot water, my worries seem to float away and the smell of the Lush bathbombs and the I Love... bubbles allow me to relax completely. Also, in water, it takes much less effort to lift your leg or arm, so, together with the hot water, it allows your muscles to unwind. If your not really a bath type of person, you can also take a hot shower. The water will massage your back and when I don't have time - or patience - to run a bath, it's pretty much just as good an option.
2. Plan some you-time
The best thing you can do if you're a little bit stressed, is treat yourself. Whether that means you eat an entire bucket of Ben&Jerry's or you spend the Saturday-you-should-actually-be-working-on-that-big-project - we all have those - in bed with a laptop and your favourite tv-show, it's no more than healthy to have some occasional you-time. Don't overdo it - as in eating ice cream until you resemble Moriarty in the New Year's Special of Sherlock, or as in pissing off your boss and getting fired because you ignored a certain deadline - but, you know, you get my point.
3. Unplug
Nothing is as refreshing as a day without any electronical devices. No pulses or notifications from the rest of the world, just you. Shut off your computer and use actual paper instead. Need to do some research? Go to a library. Yes, they still exist. Want to do some shopping? Go to the mall instead of ordering stuff online. I've done this 'unplugging' multiple times and it actually works really well. However, if you get FOMO - fear of missing out - a lot, this option may not be the best one.
4. Bake something
It's obvious that not all people love baking as much as I do. Some of you get extra stressed and incredibly icky when you bake - I know some of my friends do - but even then, it's a good way to get your mind off of work / school / other stuff that's bothering you, because you have to focus on the baking. AND, ladies and gentlemen, afterwards you have lovely, tasty, homemade goods that you can devour with your friends. Or all by yourself. Doesn't matter.
5. Make a to-do list to release pressure
Unlike the previous ways to de-stress, this one does not focus on getting your mind off of the things that stress you out, but focuses on getting those things to stress you out a little bit less. It can really help to clear your head and to see things in perspective if you write down every single thing you have to get done. Instead of a busy mess in your head, you now have a neat list of things to cross of in the course of a day or a weekend.
6. Take a day off
Now if all of the things listed above do not help you enough and you're STILL stressed, try taking a day off. Call in sick, find a way to blow off all of your obligations for the day and do something fun. Phone a friend, take a hike, go to the beach, go on a picnic, have a movie-marathon, I don't care, as long as you enjoy it. Remember, this is your life, and you shouldn't have to stretch your capabilities all the way until you're at home with a burn out. You matter, and you have to take care of yourself, because we can't do that. We can't judge wether you're putting too much pressure on yourself, only you can. And I know that sometimes it can be hard to be really, really, really, REALLY selfish for a day or two, but believe me, you'll feel better afterwards.
I hope this post helps some of you, even if it is in the teeniest tiniest way.
Now these were all of my ways to de-stress, but I'd like to know if there's anything else that works wonders for you guys. Let me know in a comment, because I'd love to try other stuff and see if they work for me as well :)
Love,
Rosaly
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