Shutterstock / pathdoc©Stress seems to have become a big part of life in 2020.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to drastically affect our daily lives, the Office For National Statistics reports that nearly one in five UK adults are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.
So, to mark International Stress Awareness Week (Nov 2-6), we’ve pulled together this list of top tips for helping to tackle those anxious feelings.
Do something you enjoy
Our hobbies can be great stress relievers. Activities like knitting, yoga, and — of course! — reading not only relax you, but doing them on a regular basis adds structure to your day/week — helping you manage your time, and giving you something to look forward to!
Get active
When we exercise our bodies produce chemicals called endorphins, which trigger positive feelings. So whether you get out and about, or do something slightly less intense indoors, it’s important to stay active to combat stress.
Just be careful not to overdo it!
Stay in touch
We’re blessed that modern technology makes it so easy for us all to stay in touch, even during lockdown. Video calls are the norm these days, and here at the “Friend” we absolutely encourage all our readers to get in touch with us (and each other) on Facebook and Twitter. You don’t have to have something specific to tell us, we just like a chat!
Talking with friends regularly has a range of benefits to our physical and mental health. So don’t be a stranger!
Be positive
If you’re feeling stressed, it might be difficult to find the positives in life. But these times are when it’s most important to do so.
Focusing on good things can improve your overall mood, and help you deal with stressful situations when they arise.
That’s part of the reason why we decided to release our Feel-good Special this year!
Avoid unhealthy habits
It can be tempting to fall back on bad habits when you’re feeling down.
But ultimately, many of these can make you feel worse — especially when done to excess. Overdoing caffeine, for example, can make you irritable, and make getting a good night’s sleep more difficult.
Enjoying everything in moderation is a much sounder strategy!
For more health and wellbeing advice from “The People’s Friend”, click here.
For more on International Stress Awareness Week, click here.
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
