I know I haven't been the best at blogging lately, and don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE blogging and writing but I've just had loads going on - in my mind, at work, with people.
To be completely honest with you, I've been all over the place really.
And I wanted to take a break from blogging because I didn't want to hurt my blog by posting some useless nonsense on how my life is actually going at the moment (but I really think I'll update you guys on that in the next one! I mean, it's only fair).
I used to post frequently before because ideas could hit me anywhere and at anytime. A car could drive past me and I would have an idea. I could look up in the sky and an idea would come to me. The wind could be blowing through my hair and an idea would come to me.
It's just more difficult lately because of all the stress and obstacles surrounding me. As I mentioned in my July Goals, June was no picnic for me. In fact, it was stressful AF!
So, one of my closest friends and I went out a couple of nights ago. And she asked me this very interesting question: How do you get rid of stress?
I didn't know exactly how to answer that question because I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist and all I had was my point of view. And not forgetting that I'm not the best at dealing with stress, hence why, all the random hiatus. However, I have come to terms with it. That's what I've been doing lately. Taking a break from everything to recollect my thoughts and how I want things to be and how I want to be.
There will be stress wherever you go. You can't hide from it. It's inevitable. You can only deal with it and move on. So, over the past couple of months, I've tried various activities on how to overcome stress. You know, the kind of stuff you'd normally read from articles and whatnot. And no, I'm not going to ask you to exercise. Because I've tried that. When I'm stressed out, exercising only makes me agitated. You HAVE to WANT to exercise.
But anyway, everyone's got their own way of dealing with stress. Some of them might work, some might not. Here are 5 ways I overcome stress:
1. Talk to someone
Bottling up your feelings won't help you or anyone else, for that matter. It only hurts you and everyone around you. So, talk to someone - a good friend, a person you trust, your partner, a therapist, your parents. Whoever you feel comfortable with and no matter what, just make sure it's someone you can trust.
2. Light a candle & Listen to some music
For me, settings are really important. You're already really stressed out. You don't want to come home to a dark, messy house. And one of the reasons why I'm such a candle whore is because candles help me deal with stress. And with some nice background music, it's just the perfect way to de-stress. All you need to do is close your eyes.
3. Drink tea
Because alcohol doesn't work. Trust me. All you do is end up crying and feeling sad for yourself and feeling like shit. There was a time when I used to turn to alcohol when I was feeling stressed out. That doesn't work for me. So, I turned to tea. Chamomile or peppermint - precisely. Not only does it help you sleep better, but it helps with de-stressing too.
4. Write it down
Whatever shit you're feeling right now, if it's bringing you down, write that shit down. It doesn't have to have any structure. For example, I could be feeling so stressed out right now and I have absolutely no idea why. I would write "I'm feeling like shit right now and I don't know why. I hate this feeling". From 2 sentences, the whole thing will turn into an essay. By the time you've finished writing them down, you'd already feel nicer. And once you've finished writing, put it aside and don't read it. Only read it a week after or when you're feeling better and you'll actually laugh at it. No joke, I promise.
5. Take a shower
Showers are a godsend. Something so simple. Something that we take for granted every.single.day. And I only found out that this trick worked on me when I was coming home from a very stressful day at work a couple of weeks ago. And I felt helpless, restless. I decided to take a shower and OMG, I came out of the shower asking myself what was I so stressed about? So, taking a shower - quick or long, hot or cold - definitely helps!
Like I said, everyone has different ways of dealing with stress. I've been stuck in that tunnel for quite some time now and I actually learned how to crawl out of it. Hence why I'm writing this post. To help any of you who are still in the tunnel.
Just remember: Stress is everywhere. You can't let that stop you from doing things you love. Deal with it and move on. The quicker, the better. #YOLO :)
