Stress is something that affects us all, whether it’s stress in the workplace, at home or on the web. It’s something that can heavily affect our mental health and is important to keep on top off. For me, my low moods get a lot worse when I am feeling stressed which is why the main things in my life that have been affected by my depression have been the things that stress me out, at least on the most part. Below I share my tips on how to cope with stress for an easier and more enjoyable life.

My Tips on How To Cope With Stress

1. Take Walks

Walking (and exercise in general) is a great stress reliever. It gives you time to relax and be with yourself whilst also working away the stress with movement. I enjoy taking walks by the beach so I can see dogs and, on particularly stressful days, I can get an ice cream. Go as far away as possible and really get away from life, that way you’ll come back refreshed and ready to get on with the day. Although this isn’t always a possibility, for example when you’re at work, you can fit it in to your day. Walk to and from work, walk during your lunch break etc.

2. Turn Off Your Phone

Switch off completely to do things that de-stress you. This will disconnect you from social media, any calls, texts and emails. What this does is clears your brain from anything you might have to focus on at that time. If you have work emails coming through or your mum is calling you constantly this will only add to your stress. I get particularly stressed when I have many people asking me for things at once.

3. Talk About It

Message a friend you haven’t seen in a while and have a catch up. Talk about your collective stresses and help each other get it all out. The first part of de-stressing is finding what has stressed you out in the first place, that way you can prevent stress from happening in the future. The other great thing about this one is you get to catch up with a friend (yay).

4. Take Up A Hobby

Doing something productive that doesn’t stress you out will help you clear your mind. For example I have recently started baking which is a huge de-stresser for me (even if I’m not THAT great at it yet). This is because it keeps me busy so I don’t have time to think about the things that stress me out, but doesn’t stress me out more by being  difficult for me. Other hobby ideas are knitting (yes, knitting. Even for younger people), painting and gaming.

5. Watch Something Relaxing

You know those rubbish shows your parents used to watch? All the soaps where the writing was awful and nobody could act? Yeah, I can almost guarantee that it helped them to de-stress and it will for you too! I have recently started watching Gilmore Girls, now the writing isn’t awful and the acting isn’t awful either, but I studied film and television so it’s awful to me, but I definitely recommend badly acted dramas to help you de-stress (and a lot of time to laugh at the writing).

So these are my tips on how to cope with stress. Do you have any others? Please share them below!