The Beat Stress Guide

It’s the 3rd week of exam prep and Stella’s barely had 10 hours of sleep – and that’s for the entire week.

And, if the stress hadn’t fried her hair off, she certainly would have pulled it out by now. It’s hard for her to figure out why it’s hitting her so hard this time, especially when she’s fighting a flu and fever.

Now stress isn’t all bad. Research proves that it makes athletes perform better and it helps students solve problems faster. The same parts of your body that response to stress are the same ones that tell us we are not well.

So, stress isn’t bad, but bad stress is.

It’s only when we begin wallowing in the darker side of stress – you know, the side that causes depression, uncontrollable sadness and mood swings – that’s when you should start to take action to stop it from getting worse.

Here’s what you can do

GET SLEEP

Hit the sack and grab 40 winks, because it’ll do more than just rest your eyelids. Apart from relaxing your body, sleep has been proven to help make your mind align its thoughts better; in other words, you’ll be smarter if you get good rest rather than cram those last chapters in your head.

GET EXERCISE

On the flip side, you can dump stress by your heart pumping. When your body starts moving, it start to fill your system with endorphins, which means you’ll feel released and relaxed. In fact, with regular exercise, you’ll be able to handle stress better and better.

GET OXYGEN

You inhale all the time (yeah, it’s necessary after all), but when was the last time you breathed? Deep breathing can help you take control of a chaotic emotional state. Take a walk or find a nice spot in a quiet room: most importantly, get comfy. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders, and slowly draw in the deepest breath you can. Rinse, repeat.

GET GIGGLING

Your brain loves laughing and we’re sure you do too. We could get into the biology of why (endorphins, blood circulation and stimulation) but you can trust us when we say that laugher doesn’t have it reputation as the best medicine for nothing. Read some jokes, and if you dare, tell some.

GET TALKING

You’ve got a friend, and in case they aren’t available, you have people who are out there willing to help. It’s easier to than you think to reach out and chat with someone who’s got a healthy and positive view to life. Just offer to buy them coffee and sit them down for a heart to heart and air out your thoughts. And if they aren’t available, we’ve got some friends who are more than ready to help you through.