Stress Less
We’ve all been there. The one. Panic mode. Your pulsating heart, your tense muscles, and your head just would not quiet down. Too much homework, too much friend drama, or just too much of anything else all at once: stress piles up more than you can handle. The good news is, you can sweat out with what you already have at home and stress won’t be laughing at you after all. You don’t need to blow the piggy bank money on equipment or with some life-altering makeover—a couple of smart habits is all you need.
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Breathe Like You Mean It
Simple, but one of the fastest things to slow down your mind and body is deep breathing. When you’re angry, you blow and puff in little tiny puffs. That sends your brain the message that all hell’s breaking loose and that you need to get tense.
Here’s a quick solution: Try 4-7-8. Breathe in for 4 seconds through your nose, hold for 7, and breathe out through your mouth for 8. Do this a few times to calm down.
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Stand up and walk around
Exercise is relaxing. Don’t run marathons and lift weights—just pace back and forth around the house and chemicals in your brain, called endorphins, are secreted, quieting and calming you, and cutting stress.
Pace around the block, dance to an audio tape, bike, or stretch a few times. The only thing is to get the body moving, if you’re chronically tense.
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Get Organized
Chaos calendar is where everything just goes out the window. If you’re constantly forgetting homework or constantly just running around at the last minute to get it turned in, then by default you’re going to be stressed.
Try it using a calendar or planner in your phone. Just put you need to do something and deadline down. Divide huge things into itsy-bitsy baby steps so they don’t seem almost as scary. Check items off the list and it feels strange somehow and shuts your mind off.
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Break Without Guilt
Breaks make people lazy, they believe, but the mind also needs to take a break so that it would be functioning at its optimum. You would be draining out your energies too soon if you are single and never take a break.
Use the Pomodoro Technique: work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break. Stand up and stretch, take a glass of water, or simply close your eyes. These small breaks dehydrate your brain and you’re better off when you start working again.
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Say It Out
Certain days, worst you can do with stress is just blow it off. Blow it out to someone who is a friend, a family member, a teacher, or a counselor. It always does sound smaller and less frightening when you have broken it down.
Or, if you do not want to talk, write it down then. Writing things down will clarify things and stop your head spinning round.
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Decrease Screen Time
Screen time can also be called relaxation time and de-stressing time, but repeated screen time is just the opposite and increases the level of stress rather than decreasing it. It makes your mind go crazy, disrupts your sleep pattern, and gets you comparing yourself unfavorably with others in that useless way.
Set boundaries. Create a “no phone” bedtime routine or homework in silent mode. Replace them with what really de-stresses you, like reading, doodling, or listening to loved songs.
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Practice Gratitude
It’s easy to know what isn’t working, but to take notice of what is working shifts your perspective. Daily, record three things you’re thankful for. Maybe not life-altering—the snack that you just can’t seem to stop reaching for, the joke shared between you and your BFF, or the nice day.
Your mind is going to notice more and more positive things, and this is frustrating you less at the universal level.
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Sleep Like It Matters (Because It Does)
You whine when you are tired. Stress is not nearly as much fun when your body hasn’t had a full night’s rest. Sleep 8–10 hours at night, especially if you are still in school.
Create a sleep habit: turn off the screens an hour before bed, keep the room cold and dark, and do something relaxing like reading or soothing music.r prior to bed, make the room cold and dark, and do some calming activity such as reading or soothing music.
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Practice Saying “No”
We overcommit because we don’t want to disappoint other people. But if you are already at your limit already, then adding more on is just going to make you more stressed out.
It’s not okay to say no. This and you have only so much energy and time, and keeping it for yourself is self-love.
