The winner of the superlative "most stressful year" goes to (drumroll, please) 2020! Without a doubt, last year has been nothing but stressful from a pandemic outbreak to not getting the full high school experiences; it has been an entanglement of a year.
Throughout 2020 the word “stress” has been thrown around innocently, but what is it? According to Mayo Clinic, stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. When you experience stress, your brain signals your body a cascade of stress hormones. As this happens, your built in alarm system which is your “fight-or-flight” system- becomes activated. Thus affecting your thoughts, feelings and/or body. This system ensures you are able to fight the “threat”(stressful event) you face.
Being mindful of your stress is the initial step to coping. It coerces you to find ways to destress and to be happy. Some signs that indicate you’re stressed are:
Irritability
Apprehensive, anxiousness or nervousness
Difficulty concentrating/thinking
Headaches
Physical pain or discomfort
It’s important to acknowledge that everyone experiences stress differently. Therefore, the signs enumerated above may not always apply to you. However, be conscious of how you feel by reflecting on your mental state from time to time.
Therefore, I thought it would be fitting to start this year with tranquillity and grace (everything 2020 was NOT) with ways you can cope and recover from this arduous school year.
1. BREATH!
Take a moment to take a deep breath. Have you noticed that you already feel relaxed? That’s because when you take a deep breath, you signal your brain to relax and calm down, reducing stress/anxiety. One of my favourite breathing exercises is the following:
4-7-8 breathing technique
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 7 seconds
Exhale for 8 seconds
Repeat at least 4x
2. SLEEP
We’ve all been there (myself included) binging watching a show or playing video games for way too long. However, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania shows that not getting enough sleep causes stress.
3. Aerobic Exercise
As stated by Harvard Medical School, aerobic exercises such as walking or running can reduce stress. During physical activity, your body produces a neurochemical called endorphins. Endorphins are natural pain killers; they also stimulate a euphoric feeling and a sense of overall well being.
4. Take a Break
We may feel that by taking a break, we are wasting our time. However, as reported by Cornell University, taking a hiatus from anywhere between 5-60 mins grants your body and mind time to relax/ recover from stress. Therefore, increasing your energy, productivity, and ability to focus.
5. Writing or Talking about your Emotion
According to Harvard Medical School, writing or talking about your feelings gets things off your chest resulting in feeling freer from stress induced constraints. Furthermore, you’re able to identify what you are feeling and how to cope with it.
Although stress affects individuals differently, everyone encounters stress. Similarly, each person’s coping mechanisms are unique to them. It is essential that one has a strong support system and ways to alleviate stress so that they feel liberated from the constraints that pressure often puts on humans. With a new year ahead of us, we must go in with the proper resources and support to make sure that we all prioritize our mental health and wellness. I hope these five stress management tips help you start the new year right!
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