Stress Management

Hey y'all! So, someone (my sister) actually requested that I write my next post on stress management. Even though I'm done with undergrad, I still have a pretty high stress job that requires me to manage my stress levels pretty much daily. In addition to a high stress, emotionally draining job, I'm a type A personality, so I naturally stress about pretty much everything. I've always operated at a really high stress level, but one thing I've learned over time is that I absolutely cannot let stress overwhelm me. You have to maintain a good balance between letting stress motivate you and taking time to relax and focus on yourself. Here are my top tips to managing your stress:

1. Know When to Walk Away
This one is SO important. My biggest problem at times is not knowing when to just leave something alone and step back and get a different perspective. Being able to know when to walk away really helps my stress levels, because if I can just put something down and stop stressing, I can normally come back with a clear mind and work on whatever the problem is much more effectively. Sometimes, all it takes is a walk or just talking to someone for a few minutes, but sometimes you may just need to step back for a few hours until you feel like you're in control again.

2. Get Enough Sleep 
I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure you're taking care of your body. Your mind is much more alert and focused if you get enough sleep than it is if you pull an all nighter trying to study or get a project done. I know in college there were many nights where I knew I needed to work on a paper after work, but it just was not coming easy. If I went to bed and got up and made some coffee, I could usually crank out 10-12 pages in a morning where the night before I couldn't even finish one. Trust me, sleep makes all the difference in the world!

3. Don't Suppress Your Emotions
Don't get so frustrated or upset with yourself that all of a sudden, you have an emotional breakdown and you can't handle anything going on. I know I'm really bad about bottling things up until I can't take it anymore, and then it's like the flood gates are unleashed all at once. This is super unhealthy and just adds to a growing stress level, because on top of your stress, you're containing all of your emotions. Sometimes it's better to vent for a couple minutes and then take a deep breath than to pretend that nothing's wrong until you just can't take anymore.

4. Take Time for Yourself 
When I first started college, I constantly felt down and overwhelmed because I was never taking time for myself. One thing I started doing and continue to do, is budget time for myself every day. Whether it's an hour of reading, or running, or just watching TV, taking time for myself has helped me to wind down and relax so much. Taking that time for myself to just zone out of whatever is stressing me out at the moment really helps keep me grounded and focus on whatever tasks I have.

I hope these tips are as helpful to you all as they have been to me!