Pressure never discriminates against anyone. It always affects everyone in different ways. No matter how stress appears in your life, I think we can all agree that it is always present. When it appears, it takes over our entire lives. Then it becomes difficult to live in the present moment and be grateful for the people and things we have in our lives. When you’re in the center of a stressful storm, everything seems to be forgotten. This is where we think of self-care.

Here are 5 self-care ways to combat stress in your life. You may consider incorporating them into your daily routine for best results.

1.Start a brainstorming writing exercise

When you’re overwhelmed with thoughts, it’s difficult to stay present and focused. This may affect your work, school, or relationships.It’s like your brain is filling up with thoughts constantly competing for your attention. If left unattended, it can affect your performance or your form. Pressure is also quietly brewing at this time!

One way to manage this is called a “brain dump,” and it’s not complicated, it’s just that – get comfortable with pen, paper, or your favorite journal. There’s no need for any special formatting or introduction, just write down all the ideas that come to you. Think of your paper as a blank canvas onto which you can spill all your ideas, no matter how small or unimportant they may be. This might be a list, a chunk of text, or a paragraph. Don’t pay too much attention to how it looks. Just do this to give your thoughts an outlet. Once they’re on paper, they’re no longer swimming around in your head demanding your attention.

Once you have them written down, keep them as they are. We all tend to revise our thoughts. But this is the time to do the opposite and just let them simply be – there is no right or wrong. Consider doing this exercise every day or when you feel you have a lot to do.

2.Sweating

When your body is feeling stressed, there is nothing more therapeutic than moving your body. Theoretically, we spend our day inside our bodies! If we’ve had a particularly rough day, we can feel nervous and uneasy. This is where exercise and sweating come into play!

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America: “Scientists have found that regularly participating in aerobic exercise can reduce overall stress levels, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem.”

Find a workout that works for you and stick to it a few days a week. Scientists have also found that even 10-15 minutes of aerobic exercise can have a huge impact on your body. Go for a run, take a spin or power yoga class, or dance away your stress. Whatever gets your heart pounding and your body sweating, it’s a perfect self-care method to keep stress at bay.

3.Seek treatment from a therapist

Sometimes, writing down our thoughts and feelings doesn’t seem like enough. This is common and normal. After all, we are complex humans and we want to understand and process our emotions on a deeper level. This is why regular treatment is so beneficial!

In the presence of professionals, we can open up and talk about stressful situations we are experiencing. We don’t need to hide our emotions, we know our honesty will be protected and safeguarded.

Additionally, when we feel stressed, we often want to simply vent and get things off our chests. Having someone on the receiving end who just listens and holds space can be like a healing gift to us. We often leave the session feeling more empowered, more seen, and less stressed out.

Secondly, we can also get guidance from our therapist about the specific situation we are struggling with. Seeing things that are emotionally close to us from someone else’s perspective may be just the solution we need.

4.Interrupt your day

This may seem like a derailed technique, but give it a try! Interrupting your day means introducing something completely new or random into a very monotonous or typical routine.

If you work or study in the same order every day, taking breaks can be very helpful for your efficiency and creativity. This looks like stopping at your desk or office midday to do some yoga stretches. It could also be playing your favorite playlist between meetings or going for a walk to lunch. Not only will this inspire you with new energy for the day, but it will also reduce the stress of your day.

As I said in the previous advice, when we get too close to a situation or conflict, we have a hard time getting out of it. We are so emotionally and mentally invested that we fail to see how this closeness affects our health. So, when you feel the pressure coming on, interrupt yourself and do something fun, casual, and refreshing.

In conclusion

Unfortunately, stress is a common part of our lives. It affects everyone, but how much it affects you is a personal matter. One thing is for sure, stress has a huge impact on our physical, mental and emotional state. This is why regular exercise, as well as mental stimulation and emotional release, is so important. These self-care ideas won’t necessarily make you never feel stressed, but they will help you manage it better.