STRESS

STRESS and feeling overwhelmed is definitely a feeling I know only too well, especially at the moment with midterms and assignments all due at the same time. It is very easy to feel like you’re drowning in everything, and I can pretty much guarantee I am not the only one feeling like this at the moment. I am also a self - confessed perfectionist which often doesn’t help haha! (I have come a long way since the days of ripping notes out of my books if they weren’t neat enough .. crazy I know!) 

Stress can be a good thing, like pressure can be, as “diamonds are made under pressure” (gotta be kinda a good thing .. right?!) , however only to an extent! There are some things that I have learnt which help me heaps when I’m starting to feel stressed and overwhelmed, so I thought theres no better time than to share these .. hopefully they might help some of you too! 

1. BREATHE

I know it seems pretty straight forward, but taking a moment to breathe actually really helps. Sometimes you just need to step away and have a breather. If I am really stressed, I like to lie on the ground with my legs up against the wall and stay there for 5-10 mins and breathe in silence or listen to some calming music. This is a game changer for me, I should really do this everyday and it also helps with flexibility as well hehe 

2. GET ACTIVE 

Those that know me, know I love walking! I really love it! It’s so therapeutic, it’s a stress relief for me and I just love the feeling after going for a really long walk. I walk most mornings around exam time, and will go for atleast 4 power walks in a normal week. It’s really nice to go by yourself sometimes, but I love grabbing some friends and walking along the waterfront, to Baldwin Street or heading to the beach for a walk. But if you don’t like walking, any form of activity will have the same affect and will leave you feeling so much better! 

3. BE ORGANISED  

Lists, lists, lists!! There’s nothing quite like writing a list in the morning and being able to tick everything off at night! I’m a bit of an organised freak you could say, I love being organised - it probably comes with the perfectionist territory! I like to write a week in view plan on a weekly planner on a Sunday night and pin it up above my desk so I can see what I have on for the week (Kikki.K do the best weekly planners in my opinion), I have it colour coded with uni, exercise, social and me time! It’s super important even when we have heaps on to make time for ourselves and for people that make us feel good about ourselves - easier said than done I know! I love writing lists at the beginning of each day or the night before, so I know what I have to achieve in that day! I also love having a big year planner up on the wall with all my important dates! 

I found some cute monthly planners the other day, which I’m finding really useful! You can find them here http://theorganisedstudent.tumblr.com/printables

4. PRIORITISE AND TIME MANAGEMENT

This one links into organisation above! This is an important one for me and one I still consistently work on (Could definitely be better at time management .. leaving assignments till the last minute is never fun!!) Managing your time so you can fit everything in and also the things that make you happy is crucial. Making a numbered priority list for each day, or week or even out of numerous assignments is an awesome place to start! I know that when I have heaps on I like to get up a bit earlier as well because I always feel more productive if I start my day earlier, even if it just is a mental thing, it makes me feel better! 

5. SLEEP

A lot of the time when we have heaps on and are stressed out, our sleeping patterns go haywire and sleep is neglected! We all need sleep to function, and while you have heaps on, not sleeping is not going to help anyone! I will admit my sleeping pattern isn’t quite how I want it to be at the moment, and what I like to do will not necessarily work for you, you have to find something that works for you, unfortunately health is not one size fits all! I prefer to get up earlier and go to sleep earlier and try and get atleast 8 hours of sleep a night (I seriously need it .. otherwise GRUMPY or 'deliriously tired, laughs at everything' Charlie comes out to say hey). Make sure sleep is a priority always, but especially when feeling overwhelmed. A good night sleep will mean you are so much more productive the next day and not grabbing the 3rd cup of coffee for the day (Guilty only once as this didn’t go down too well .. 1, maybe 2 is my maximum)

6. GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s super tempting to scroll insta when you have a crazy long to do list .. but it’s such a time waster! Enough said! 

7. PAMPER AND “ME TIME”

One of my favourites! I am kind of obsessed with face masks at the moment so I like to do a facemask every 3 days and make myself chill out, read a book, have a cup of tea or listen to some music while I am waiting for it to set! The frank body ‘glow mask’ is my go to at the moment, this stuff is magic! My skin feels so smooth afterwards! Having a hot shower, painting your nails, doing your hair or anything along the pampering lines, I find often gives me a boost and I am more productive afterwards. Taking 10 mins of “me time” in a day especially when you’re stressed to check in with yourself, and do nothing can be super helpful I find! Try it and see how it goes 😃 

8. HIT THE BEACH

The beach is my happy place, it just makes me calm! I love the listening to the waves, the sand between my toes and just the salty air! I try to get to the beach as much as I can, go for a walk or just sit and relax! If the beach works for you, try to get there or find your happy place. 

I also find that having something to look forward to at the end of a stressful week makes it so much more bearable! Could be a date, having a pamper night with the girls, movie night in on a friday or Saturday drinks! 

Try turning the stress into a positive and thrive off it, make it work to your advantage. Remember to make the most of supportive friends, you don’t have to go through it by yourself and a lot of the time people are feeling the exact same!! 

Take a break, breathe and make a list beautiful! You can do it xx

Love and Health, 

Charlie xo