Don't let stress affect you
Today is National Stress Awareness Day and chances are you've already felt stressed at some point today.
Dr Chris Bundy, Simple Psychologist and senior lecturer, helps you tackle your stress demons.
"Stress is something we all experience from time to time adn can have a huge impact on our state of mind and mental wellbeing but also our physical appearance such as our skin. Here are some of my suggestions on how to help combat stress:
Rest Up: Ensure you get between 6-8 hours of good wuality sleep a night. I know that sounds difficuly if you have worries nagging away at the back of your mind but honestly, planning is the answer so get yourself in a good sleep/wake cycle
Improve you mood: Go for a brisk 10 minute walk each day to improve your mood and lift your spirits. So many of us spend so much time chained to our desks but it really is vital to get out at lunchtime, clear your head and put your worries into perspective
A positive outlook: Don't dwell in the doldrums. Try and focus on the positive things in your life and screen out the negative. Look back over happy photos, go see a feel good film with friends, buy yourself a bunch of cheery looking blooms. It may seem a tad trivial but it will really help switch your thoughts from negative to positive
Practise makes perfect: Practise focusing on one new positive thing per day - just be grateful the bus turns up on time and you get a seat for example. It's all about little steps
Forget the flaws: "Don't spend time worrying about your faults and the things you don't like about yourself. Time spent correcting imperfections is time wasted because you are often drawing more attention to what you believe are your flaws
Fear of failure: We can all suffer from a crisis of confidence and stress about failure rather than trying to work on our strengths. Look forward and focus on what you want to achieve rather than what you failed to achieve and be realistic with your goals
Smile and take time out to laugh: It's the surest way to help boost your mood which in turn helps alleviate stress."
Tagged in Health