7 things you can do during periods of high stress
Is it just me or do we all seem to have chronic stress these days? It's not surprising: your work is busy, your social life is busy, and I don't know about you, but sometimes you're just really busy with yourself. It's completely logical that we sometimes don't know how to lower our stress levels. Are you, like me, also a professional stress bunny? These calming activities can help you regain some balance in your busy life.
1. Go for a walk
It has often been proven that regular walking is good for your mental health. It takes you out of the busy environment of your home or office and provides a clear perspective. It's also very healthy for your body to walk regularly: staying active is always good, and it helps lower your blood pressure, which may be elevated due to stress.
2. Listen to calming music
Also often proven: music helps with relaxation and sometimes even with falling asleep. You can create your own playlist, but there are also plenty of playlists with calming music available on YouTube and Spotify. Not in the mood for music? Listening to these sounds (linking to my article about white, pink, and brown noise, which will be published on Thursday, March 16) can also help you relax.
3. Watch a fun series
I often recommend this, but watching a fun, light-hearted series can relieve so much stress, especially if it's a series you already know. You know exactly what to expect and you already know you like it. Sounds like a win-win to me. No idea what to watch? My favorite stress-free series are Friends, New Girl, Sex and the City, and The Bold Type, but a good 2000s romcom always works well too.
4. Reach out to friends
You don't necessarily have to go to your friends; you can also just call them. Trust me, a conversation with a good friend can work wonders for your mood. He or she probably knows you inside out, so you don't have to explain everything, and it could very well be that your friend is going through a similar situation. Venting together by complaining a bit about your stress can be very helpful.
5. Social media detox
I know: endlessly scrolling through TikTok and Instagram is such delightful entertainment. However, spending too much time on social media is not good for our mental health. It often only leads to comparing your own (currently stressful) life with someone else's life, which only shows the highlights on Instagram. Not fair to yourself and not good for your stress levels. So log out every now and then.
6. Create your own mantra
Personally, I love talking to myself, but in moments of stress, I really can't stop. That's why it's important to be a little kind to yourself in such moments, and coming up with a mantra that you repeat to yourself helps. I often say: ‘This too shall pass’, ‘you can handle this’, and my personal favorite: ‘do it scared’, meaning: you may be stressed and scared, but don't let that hold you back.
7. Schedule time for your worries
This may sound strange, but it really works for people who can't stop stressing: schedule 15 minutes a day to worry about everything you think you should be worried about. We often can do very little about the things that stress us out, and we often think that worrying gives us some control over the situation. That's not true. By giving yourself a set time to think about your worries, you ensure that you can just go on with your life for the rest of the day. Stress is just part of life, but it doesn't have to take over your entire day.
