Recently, I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself. I’ve been getting super stressed with my workload, I’ve been finding it hard to keep up with my normal daily tasks such as washing up/tidying etc. I’ve found it difficult to keep on top of it all; even things like socialising have been hard, which is odd for someone like me as I’m usually so bubbly.
I feel that when some things start to go downhill a bit, even something minor, it just adds up again and again and then things that normally wouldn’t, start to bother you. We all get to a point when we find it hard, but just accept that you’re feeling a bit low and give yourself a break.
Over-stressing in my case has definitely led to me struggling to sleep properly; I’ve found it hard to be motivated, felt unwell physically and struggled to organise my time efficiently. So I thought it would be best to take a day off for myself to try and rest.
If you find yourself getting ill, you need to take a moment to accept that you need to take a break, stop and look after yourself. Our bodies are our foundations and we need to be well in order to do work, go to work, do our bits around the house and basic hygiene. If we’re unwell, how are we supposed to do these things?
I was really getting into my work but was putting too much pressure on myself with how much work I needed to get done and before I knew it, I got ill. This is our body giving us a sign that we are working too hard and we are under too much stress. There are going to be times when we get to this point and need time for us.
This may be by going home or having a bath or going for a walk or watching our favourite film. Do something that makes you happy and is something that’s for YOU. For me, I’ve decided to go home and I took a day where I stopped, did not work and purely just rested and slept. I felt much better for it and was able to carry on; I felt happier.
It may be helpful to know the signs to look out for when you’re stressed. One can be headaches, you can get them a lot when you are finding it hard to keep on top of everything. Try and take some paracetamol or ibuprofen if you are struggling but try and just stop and chill out if one comes up. Don’t do too much if you have a headache.
Another sign can be an aching jaw, this can be if you are grinding your teeth in the night due to stress and can give you pain in the morning. If this is happening, maybe keep an eye on it and be aware that this could be caused by stressing out.
Another one is sleep, if you are stressed then you may not be sleeping properly and could have bad or odd dreams. If you keep getting bad sleep or you keep waking up in the night, keep an eye on it and try to leave time to wind down before bed.
One other thing can be acne; I’ve had this when I’ve been stressed, I seem to just break out in spots and feel run down. If you get a bit spotty and you are aware of some bad acne, know this could also be from stress.
We do sometimes blame a sweet tooth on being upset or stressed, but it really can be from being stressed. If we are, we tend to crave chocolate and sweets to help us feel better. Bellyaches and becoming unwell through a cold can also be signs. If any of these do come up, just bear them in mind and know that you could be getting stressed. Try and spot these early and try different things to help you feel more relaxed and make your diet more balanced.
I just think we need to remind ourselves that sometimes it’s okay not to be okay and that we do need to just take a break and take time for ourselves sometimes. I need to focus on myself in order to feel better and able to carry on particularly at university.
A change of scenery can do us the world of good. I feel that going home will really help me because it’s a familiar environment and is a place where some of my favourite people are; my family and friends.
Take a break; take the time to chill out sometimes. Take a bath, watch a film; do what’s right for you and know that you are only human.
It does all get too much at one time or another and that’s when we need to take great care of ourselves and do what relaxes us and makes us happy. You always come first. Once you are alright, you can focus on everything else.
When we aren’t stressed, we tend to sleep a lot better, don’t get headaches, our breathing isn’t rapid, our immune system is high and healthy and we don’t have tense muscles.
How do I stop getting stressed? Why don’t you do a bit of exercise so that your body can focus on something else?
Go for a run or to the gym for half an hour or so? When I am stressed, I like to take all my problems and put them in a box so that I can organise them. I prioritise everything that’s on my mind and put in order what needs doing first to what can wait. By putting all of these things away in my mind, and breaking things down, it helps me to focus on things one at a time.
Taking a break and doing what you enjoy also helps. By having a time out, you can focus on you and feel happier as you are doing something that you love. Another thing I would strongly recommend is meditating and deep breathing. By taking a moment and focusing on the present, you are able to focus only on your breathing and are able to take your mind off everything else.
There are some good videos on YouTube where they can do guided meditation and body scans. I like to do a 10 minute body scan for meditation every week and it does the world of good. Don’t worry, there are many ways to stop you from getting stressed and feeling you again; feeling better and happier.
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