Continuing on the previously set theme of positivity based on this post, I thought I’d tell you some of the things that calm me down when I’m experiencing stress or anxiety, so that you’ll learn a bit more about me, or use them yourself if you like.
1. As no surprise to anyone, number one is writing. No matter if it’s poems, novels or just a regular short story or narrative, I love it, and for me it’s the best way to both prevent and handle stress and anxiety. Expressing my emotions in writing is, and will probably continue to be, one of my favorite ways to handle almost everything.
2. This is a really common one, and shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, or who has been following the blog for a while. Music. It’s a common way for anyone who has ever experienced stress, anxiety or even depression to get by, and thus it was quite obvious for me to start using it too. Even if it’s just a song or two between classes, or a two hour session filled with every kind of music imaginable, to be surrounded by music allows me to really relax.
3. The third one, drawing, isn’t really a surprise either. Though my drawings are more often scribbles than anything serious, I still love it. Creative expression is something that I’ll always be fond of, no matter what I’m trying to get through, and even if it is mostly scribbles it continues to be very fun, and what’s more; relaxing.
4. The fourth is company, but this is very case-specific. If you’ve ever been stressed, or had anxiety, you know that sometimes you feel like you really need company, sometimes you’d rather be left alone for two weeks straight, and the sensation of this can shift within a couple of hours, or days. But when it’s one of the times when company turns out to be helpful, it’s one of the best things to battle hard emotional experiences.
5. Although controversial, I often take part in comfort eating, most often different kinds of nuts and seeds, orange juice or chocolate. When kept in control, comfort eating is not such a bad thing, there is a huge difference between having a few pieces of chocolate and eating an entire bag of chips by yourself. When done in moderation, eating snacks is actually quite helpful, and as you lose more calories when you’re stressed, you don’t have to worry about weight gain either!
6. Another obvious choice, books (or movies if you prefer those). Getting to let go of ourselves for a moment and live in someone else’s world, following along in their adventures or just daily life, is incredibly relaxing. Personally (depending of how much time there is) I prefer books, but movies are quite alright as well.
7. Number seven, exercise, is also well known. It’s been proven that getting up, stretching or going for a small walk in the middle of a work session, helps with focusing and helps prevent sleepiness and boredom. I personally prefer taking short walks throughout the day, every couple of hours getting up and moving around to maintain my focus and relieve any tension that might have been building up in muscles and joints during a long writing/study session.
8. Although a bit mundane, chewing gum helps me a lot. Something about the movement repeating itself over and over again seems to help me calm down even in situations where I go in feeling nowhere close to calm. The easiest things are often the most effective, which number nine will also point out.
9. Liquids are important, more so than you might think. During feelings of anxiety and tension, your body uses a whole lot of water, especially if you exercise to lessen these emotions. Although not preventing the strenuous feelings themselves, liquids certainly help against making the matter worse. And more often than not, prevention is the best thing you can do.
10. Planning ahead, again a personal thing. I do this whether I’m stressed or not, and if you know me, you probably also know that I bring a calendar around with me everywhere I go. I like to keep track on things, especially when I’m stressed or have a lot to do in general, it helps with handling everything in order of importance, and it relieves a lot of stress and anxiety to have it all down on paper. It’s something most people don’t think about, but some may take a huge comfort in.
Feel free to use these in your daily life, whenever you need them. They help me a lot, studying, looking for a new apartment and all the other things I’m involved in right now makes a perfect foundation for stress to build on, and I do whatever I can to manage it.
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