It’s quite easy to take on stress. As soon as something you don’t like happens, or you have to go through something that demands a lot from you, you can become overwhelmed and anxious and feel like you never want to get out of bed again.
Sure, stress can make us perform a bit better by making us more vigilant and aware of our surroundings, but when you can’t shake that feeling you’re going to become overstressed and start feeling rather unstable!
And never is that more true than when you’ve got a big life event going on. Even good things, like moving to a better home or getting married, can be incredibly stressful in the lead up. Many people find it difficult to focus or get a good night’s sleep when there’s something looming on the horizon, and sometimes you just want to forget it all and book a trip away from it all!
That’s why we’ve made a list of stress busting tips for life events like these below. Don’t let any stress stemming from them get on top of you; instead, make your life more peaceful and calm, even as it feels like the world is changing around you.
Don’t Pretend You’re Not Stressed
When stress gets on top of you, it’s easy to think that you’re just having ‘a funny five minutes’. You just need to feel your feelings and then you’ll be OK again, right? Sometimes that works, but sometimes it doesn’t. If you’re in the latter camp and you’ve been stressed out for a few days now, don’t lie to yourself about what you’re going through!
You’re stressed, you’re finding it hard to get through the day, and you shouldn’t sweep that under the rug. You need a bit of help and a bit of time away from the situation; invest in both approaches to make sure you get the break and support you need right now.
Talk to Someone You Trust
Talking to someone you trust is the best way to get stress off your shoulders. This person knows you, knows what you’re like, and you trust to be both empathetic and honest with you when you really need it.
That’s a combination that’s hard to find in relationships, so make sure you reach out for their shoulder right now. Let them take hold of some of the burden, and let them offer some practical advice or just a space to vent, whatever it is you really need.
None of this will be on offer, however, if you don’t speak up and let your trusted loved one know how stressed you really are!
Go for a Run (or swim)
Exercise is a great way to make stress go away. You’re putting your body and mind through the paces and letting some of that nervous energy be used up, meaning you won’t have it to worry and stress with later on. That’s invaluable at a time like this, even if you’re someone who doesn’t like exercise and doesn’t usually do it!
Take some 20 minutes or so to go for a run right now, or book yourself a slot down at the local swimming pool. Go back and forth in the lanes and let the exercise whisk your mind away from whatever it was that was stressing you out before. It really does work – trust us on that one!
Don’t Take Things on Alone
We mentioned speaking to a trusted person before, but now’s the time to actually let people help you in a practical way, such as lending a hand to take some of the pressure off of you.
More hands on deck means the work goes twice as fast, especially if you’re trying to clear out the house before you move or you’re in the middle of clearing out a relative’s house now that they’ve passed on. Don’t go it alone and try to do it all yourself – ask for help!
Get Professional Help
Professional help is never going to be a bad thing to reach out for. Even if you’ve had a bad experience with a certain service in the past, such as a therapist or a plumber you found in a local advert, it’s not guaranteed that you’re going to have that same experience again. Give it a chance and reach out to those who can help you!
Professional help exists in many forms, and you can call someone in to get the job done in almost every area of life. If you need to clean the drains because there’s a wicked stink spreading throughout the house, get a professional cleaner in. If you’re moving house, hire some house movers to get the bulk of your furniture safely from A to B.
Help is out there, and it’s OK to need it – getting the right person for the job could even make all that stress disappear!
Try Not to Ruminate
Ruminating on the issue only makes things worse. You spend a lot of time and mental energy going over the same thing, over and over again, which makes you more stressed, more anxious, and more nervous about what may happen in the future.
Indeed, rumination can even veer into obsessive thought territory, which may then lead into compulsions, both mental and physical. If you find this is a problem in your life, and a common one at that, be sure to visit a doctor. You may need to be assessed for a mental health condition, and knowing what you’re up against is only going to make the fight a lot easier on you.
Speak Up When Something is Wrong
If the stress stems from someone going out of their way to make life more a problem for you, speak up and let your thoughts be known. Don’t keep it all to yourself, as this will only make you more stressed and uncomfortable.
Even if it sounds worse to speak out and share what you’re really thinking and feeling about a situation, it will make things better in the long run. At the very least you’ll know that you were willing to make changes for the better in your life!
If you’ve just started a new job and there’s a coworker bullying and/or humiliating you, or your new boss has blamed you for something that wasn’t your fault, go to HR and let them know what’s going on. Speak out for your rights and your own peace of mind and some of the stress may just melt away.
Make Time for You
When you make time for you, you make time to push the stress away and focus on what really matters: your mental and physical health. That’s good for many reasons, but right now it’s mostly good because you’re putting yourself first, even if you think you shouldn’t.
If stress gets on top of you whenever something is going on or changing in your life, the first thing to do is take a step back and take stock of the situation. Give yourself some perspective, and then indulge in a bit of self care, and never forget to talk about your feelings with those you love and trust!
Of course, if these tips don’t help, or you find they even make things worse, it’s worth it to talk to a medical professional about the way you’re feeling and how it’s impacting your life. Sometimes we genuinely do need medical help, and that’s perfectly OK too.
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