10 Ways To Deal With Stress

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1. Remember you're not the only one -  Remember that everyone has s***t they have to deal with, they're probably just as good at hiding it as you are. Learning that you're no different to anyone else means you'll stop feeling sorry for yourself. When that happens it's so much easier to move forward.

2. Be kinder to yourself - Stop giving yourself such a hard time, think about what you would say to a friend in the same situation. You would be kind and understanding so there's nothing stopping you from showing the same compassion to yourself. 

3. Ask yourself what/why - Straight out ask yourself what it is that's bothering you, think it through rationally and try to come up with a solution. Ignoring a problem or telling yourself not to think about it will only make you stress more so get straight to the point and try to figure it out.

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4. Be open - It doesn't help anyone to keep your stresses/worries to yourself so talk to someone you trust. It really helps to be open and honest about how your feeling and you never know, they might be able to come up with a solution for you. Even just writing down your thoughts can help, seeing it all on paper can give you a different perspective.

5. Let go of the past - You can't change it so there's no point stressing over it. Use what you've learnt and discard the rest, happiness comes so much easier when you're moving forward instead of being stuck in the past. 

6. Remember all the good things - It's so easy to forget about all the good stuff when you're stressed out. We give priority to the bad stuff when really what makes us happy is more important than anything else. Make a list of everything you are grateful for and look at it every day just to remind yourself the good far out weighs the bad.

7. Watch something that makes you laugh - Even just a half hour break from stress can do a world of good so put something funny on the tv and laugh your socks off. It'll release all those lovely happy hormones and more than likely you'll be able to think a bit more clearly. If you're feeling happy then the positivity will flow.

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8. Learn mindfullness - It's the art of staying in the here and now, concentrating on what's going on outside of your body. Practise when you're walking along the street, focus on each step you take, how your feet feel in your shoes or how the sun feels against your skin. The more you practise during your everyday routine, the easier it will get until it's just something you do naturally. This is a great technique to learn if you're especially prone to getting lost in your own thoughts.

9. Go for a walk/run - I know exercise seems like the last thing you want to be doing when you're stressed out but trust me, it's a great way to clear your head and afterwards, with all the endorphins released, you'll be feeling ready to face the world again.

10. If all else fails, tell yourself to stress about it later. If it's a problem that's not going to go away just give yourself some time off from it instead. Make an allotted time during your day to worry for half an hour straight. Just knowing you have that time to worry as much as you like eases your mind for the rest of the day and makes it easier to forget about it.

I know how it feels to have your life be ruled by worry and stress, I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder about six years ago which thankfully I'm now recovering from. During that time I learnt about so many techniques for dealing with worry, testing out all the ways that worked for me and those that didn't. Obviously I'm not a medical professional so I can only advise you on what helps me but I think most of these ideas can be translated to any kinds of stresses you may be having, big or small. It's so important though that if you feel like your worry is becoming overwhelming then speak to your GP, there's so much they can do to help.

Please don't hesitate to email me: elliebostel@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you too are suffering with anxiety, I'd be more than happy to try and help you out or even just have a chat. :)

Useful links:
http://bemindful.co.uk/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anxiety/pages/introduction.aspx
http://www.samaritans.org/   Phone: 08457 909090 (UK)
http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/