5 Ways to Deal With Stress

It's been a pretty difficult and stressful couple of years, most of us feel more stressed out than usual. The Covid-19 pandemic has massively impacted our lives, and for some has taken a toll on their mental health.

A lot of us have different coping mechanisms when dealing with stress, some may turn to something unhealthy to help you cope.

However - the key to good stress management are building emotional strength, keeping connected and sociable, adopting a positive outlook and being in control of your situation. 

Here, we explore best 5 ways to deal with stress. Please note, these tips may not work for everyone, so it's important to find what works best for you and seek out medical advice if necessary. 

1. Connect with People and Communicate

When we are stressed, we tend to close ourselves off - this is not helpful as you'll end up bottling all your thoughts and worries to yourself. 

It's important to be open about the stress you're facing. It helps to confide in a friend or a loved one, good friends and family are important to any healthy lifestyle.

Alternatively, connect with people in groups or online. A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your troubles. Activities with others help us to relax and keep occupied to distract and eliminate feelings of stress.

2. Be Active and Distracted

Exercise isn't for everyone, but studies have found that even a brisk 10 minute walk can alleviate feelings of stress. Exercise can reduce some of the emotional intensity that you're experiencing and can allow you to deal with your problems more calmly.

Other methods that differ from keeping active is to distract yourself to eliminate feelings of stress, such as listening to music. There are lots of playlists that help reduce feelings of stress to you can listen to when experiencing negative thoughts. 

3. Avoid Unhealthy Habits

Don't rely on unhealthy habits to manage stress, such as alcohol, smoking or caffeine. 

These coping methods will not help you in the long term.

4. Take Control and Laugh it Off

Think to yourself "there's a solution to any problem'. Take control of the situation, you'll find it empowering and beneficial for your mental health. 

Laughter releases your stress response and can relieve tensions by relaxing your muscles. Laughter is known to decrease stress hormones and triggers the release of endorphins. 

5.Be Mindful

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts, feelings, your body and the world around you.

This awareness is classed as 'mindfulness' - which can help you enjoy life and your surroundings. It can positively impact how you perceive life and change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

The practice is based on the idea that the reason why we are stressed is not what is going on in the present moment, it's what is going on in our heads.

Read our Mindfulness: What Is It? blog for more information. 

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