By Ella Angell
Some people might currently be in their exam period and others might have just finished. Exams can be an extremely stressful time for all and sometimes it can just get too much. These are just a few things that you can do to help the stress to make sure you are in a good headspace.
Exercise is one way you can de-stress. Whenever you are exercising your body releases happy chemicals called endorphins. Not only does this help with relieving stress but it also helps you to be in a better mood and protects you against heart diseases too.
From: https://completewellbeing.com/article/age-no-bar-for-exercise/
Having some time to yourself so you can relax will also help with lowering stress levels. Go and take a bath or listen to your favourite song. Take your dog for a walk or do something you enjoy doing.
From: https://www.faithinnature.co.uk/article/the-myth-of-the-relaxing-bath-brits-no-longer-have-time-to-relax-and-unwind.aspx
Take some time out of what you’re doing and grab something to eat and focus on eating. Having your mind focus on something other than what is worrying you will help you escape the feeling of stress and help you relax for a period of time.
If you are feeling stressed close your eyes and try to focus your attention to something you can visualise such as thinking of your last dream. This will change your focus to something that might take a bit of energy to do so. You could even listen to a guided meditation and visualise what the person is saying.
Use your stress in a creative way and draw or paint. You can create a scene which reflects how you are feeling or draw and create whatever you like. This is a great way of getting your feelings out if you don’t know how to verbalise how you are feeling.
Distract yourself with one episode of your favourite TV show or even go and watch a movie. Even though going on screens can stress you out, it is also an amazing way to relax and step away from what you’re doing for some time.
From: https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/netflix-job-kids-tv-binge-watch
Spend some time out with your friends or family. Spending time with the people closest to you can help cheer you up and create a fresh headspace where you don’t feel so overwhelmed as before. Laughing can help make you happy as endorphins are released which are a great mood-booster.
From: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2014/04/09/how-to-be-a-friend-to-someone-with-autism
Whether it is your exam block or assessments, or anything else causing you to feel overwhelmed and stressed, taking just a little bit of time out of your day can really benefit to a better mood and mindset overall. No matter how important you think sitting and studying or getting the task done is, it can really help you having a fresh mind when looking back over what you’ve done.