It’s only the second week of term, would you believe it?! The stress has already started to hit some of us. But, now we’re not at home with no warm bubble-baths in sight (well for campus accommodation anyway), no hugs from mum, dad, siblings, or, most importantly, our pets, and no home cooked dinners to take the stress away…what do we do?
Take a break from the overload of work, uni stress and just life in general with my top 5 tips to de-stress.
1. Sing the stress away
Listening to music always helps me to calm down and clear my mind. Normally, I find a chill playlist on Spotify or listen to some Christian worship music to help me take a breather from what I’m doing; it’s also great to listen to whilst doing work as it keeps me calm.
However, if I really want to take my mind off life, I will blast some of my favourite songs and sing away to my hearts content. I mean I’m sure my flat mates think I’m a complete weirdo, but it makes me feel absolutely great!
2. Netflix and chill…by myself
I mean, this is probably one of the worst tips to give as I’m sure watching Netflix is the main reason why we’re all so stressed in the first place… I don’t know about you, but Netflix knows how to make some amazingly addictive series…
However, I find watching Netflix or YouTube is a great way to take my mind off life. And sometimes, YouTube really helps to motivate me, especially when watching study YouTubers, like Jack Edwards.
And, even if Netflix is too much to distract you during the middle of the day, use it as motivation as to get you to finish your work by using it as a treat at the end of the day.
3. Wash away the worries
So, whilst some lucky people in uni accommodation or houses off campus may have baths to relax in, there are some of us who don’t quite have that luxury. However, having a warm shower whilst blasting out some music always helps me to chill out, just as much as a bath in fact!
I have also discovered that Lush make shower bath bombs… I mean what? They are mini bath bombs that you put in the bottom of your shower and they create a mist with your desired scent, helping you to relax. My favourites include lemon (to wake myself up, or improve my mood) and lavender (to help calm myself down).
But, even if you don’t like the sound of that, just a warm shower using your favourite products can help you to take a breather from our stressful lives.
4. Get up and go
Sometimes getting up and leaving your work can be the best way to truly get a break.
There are several ways you can do this:
- Go for a walk/jog/run
- Make a cuppa
- Join a sports team (I do Netball, for example)
- Make some food
- Go and find some flat mates or friends to chat to about your worries or something completely different
- Call your parents or other friends and family.
All of these enable you to be completely distracted for short period of time so when you come back to your work you can start with a fresh mind, that will hopefully be a little freer from stress.
5. Get some creative inspo
Often when I’m stressed, one of the reasons why is because I lack motivation to do work. So, I love to find ways to motivate myself; this can include reading and specifically blogs, I enjoy writing something for myself so that includes my blogs, I enjoy planning out the rest of my life and planning time to do work which I do through a calendar on my phone and a bullet journal, and probably the most dangerous thing is I love to look at other people’s Instagram posts as to find motivation and goals for my life.
When I see that other people’s lives are organised or find out ways other people try to organise their life and you can see their successes, it motivates me to strive to achieve more for myself.
So, these are my 5 top tips for de-stressing and motivating myself to work. I hope you find them helpful and can take some time away from the craziness of life and destress.