When was the last time you felt stressed?

For many of us, stress can be far too common in our daily lives. From family life and childcare to household admin and worries over work – we’ve all been there. You are not alone if you feel like you’ve got a lot on!

Take a few minutes for yourself and check out our top tips to help you manage your stress.

How to deal with stress

Use the power of the mind

We often hear the word mindfulness – but what does it actually mean for us and our mental health? According to the NHS: 

“Mindfulness involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.”

You can use mindfulness techniques to calm your body and mind. You might try meditation or yoga – but even simple deep breathing techniques can help lower your stress. 

Deep breathing tells our body it is time to relax. Even when we are feeling stressed, we can trick our body into feeling calmer by using breathing techniques.

Next time you feel anxious or stressed, try taking five minutes to concentrate on your breathing. Take one deep breath in, hold it for five seconds, then let it out. Within a few minutes, you should feel your body begin to calm down. 

Stay active 

Regular exercise helps us fight stress.  

It does this by lowering the levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – in our bodies. Cortisol doesn’t just stress us out – it also makes us more vulnerable to colds, flu and other bugs. 

By staying active, we can keep ourselves healthy in more ways than one. Not sure where to start with exercise? Try some of our low-impact exercise ideas. 

Stress-busting tips 

Eat your greens 

Did you know that certain foods are better at lowering stress than others? 

When stressed, many of us reach for chocolate, ice cream, or crisps for comfort, but this is often less effective than we think. 

You might not feel the urge for leafy greens or starchy potatoes when you feel anxious, but science says that maybe you should.
For example, sweet potatoes have been linked to a reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone we mentioned before.

And blueberries have also been found to improve our mood.

Why not start your day off with a stress-busting breakfast like our blueberry pancakes? 

Take time for self-care 

One of the biggest reasons we get stressed is feeling that we are always “on”.  

When we are not working, we are taking care of the household, looking after other people, or trying to get things ready for the next day. 

Making time to relax is an important part of taking care of yourself. Without it, stress levels can build up until they overflow. 

Try setting aside an hour to do something that relaxes you – like watching your favourite TV show, reading a book, or going for a walk. 

During this time, nobody else should disturb you. Turn off your phone and focus on yourself – it’s time to recharge your batteries. 

Get some Zs 

A good night’s sleep is an essential part of fighting stress. 

It’s much harder to beat stress when you are tired – but ironically, stress often makes it harder for us to get a proper night’s rest. 

Have you ever stayed up all night worrying about something, only to feel exhausted in the morning? 

The good news is that the other tips in this post – including meditation, exercise, and time to relax – all help promote better sleep at night. 

Check out our article on healthy sleep habits for even more tips to help you nod off at night.