It’s Me, Hi, I’m the problem, It’s Me – 5 Realistic Ways to Actually Manage Stress (No fluff)

Hello Rakstars, 

Cue Taylor Swift: It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me

Do you find that ringing in your ears during crunch time through a stressful period? Never feeling good enough. It can be during work year end files are just popping through your inbox like spam mail during a festive parade and your boss keeps on micromanaging, dictating that the spreadsheet is not right and you just can’t take it anymore. You turn to your colleagues but you don’t even see them because they are just whining through their tasks. Are you really the problem? 

In a time of struggle to make it to the deadline date or just through the day with someone watching over you, it can seem like at times that you are the problem. You can’t do things right and you are not capable of completing whatever the task may be correctly. It could simply be – peeling a banana and you hate yourself because you didn’t peel it right? (Is there really a correct way to peel a banana – top or bottom, so long you eat it right?)

We get caught up in our minds. Our minds become our anti-hero or even the villain. It makes us feel defeated because if our boss says something bad about our work, a colleague makes a snarky remark or just the pile of work is too long and we can’t accomplish our to do list – our state of mind rolls down the hill into the dump and just sits in the garbage. We smell the rusty old dirt and that’s it – we stay in the mindset. We can’t handle it anymore and we turn against ourselves. We don’t even defend ourselves from ourselves. If someone called us incompetent or made us feel like one – we agree instantly. No push back. We simply stare at the wall, with a huge frown and agree. 

But you are not incompetent – you feel like it because you feel hurt, sad, insecure, unstable, a mix of battling emotions and darkness tends to win.  

So how do we possibly manage stress during busy season? 

Exercise!

Wait! Don’t leave, keep reading. This is not your typical exercise get fit routine. This is the exercise routine of just walking with your head up high even though you don’t feel like it or it’s taking yoru anger and frustration and moving vigorously on the elliptical. Either way, move yoru body. Take a dance break and put up your type of music on full blast and dance it out. Pretend your own stage with your full Beyonce outfit and get grooving. There is no time to stop, just move. Moving allows you to really feel present. So move it or lose it! Literally. 

Singing!

So you don’t have to have an Adele voice to sing. Go to your bathroom, lock the door, taking out your hairbrush and sing to your favorite song. Just feeling and gratifying that sense of emotion that is on your shoulders, makes you feel better. It really does. Turn up the music or sing a capella. Either way, enlighten your soul. Make yourself feel better. 

Writing!

You don’t have to write thanks or a to do list. Simply just writing rants can really help to alleviate your stress and just feel better. Don’t like what happened or maybe you hated what someone said. Just make sure to not write a burn book. Spread kindness and positivity! After you have written your rant, you feel lighter, the world is more sunnier and it looks like it’s an ice cream type of day unless your lactose intolerant than vegan ice cream is just as great! 

Sleeping!

Who said naps were just for kids? Naps are great for us to calm down, wind down and just forget about our troubles temporarily. When we are so caught up in the moment, there is a feeling of fear, nervousness and bogged downness. Whatever it may be – sleep helps us to heal ourselves, by giving us a clear mind and sometimes we even solve our solutions in our sleep!

Take a Break!

There is such a thing as burnout. If you have never felt it – lucky you but if you had it and didn’t realize what it was – let’s just say it’s like putting a pot on a gas stove, watching the burners burn. Burn out can happen and before it occurs, we must tell our bodies and especially our mind that we need a break. Jump on the couch and watch Netflix. Or go hang out with some friends. Maybe spend time with your family. And if all those don’t look like suitable options – volunteer at a retirement home and bring joy to people’s faces. Taking a break is not defeat. It is the best solution when you are not feeling yourself. You need to unwind, enjoy your time and spread out fun. 

Remember Rakstars, don’t get caught up in all the seriousness. Make sure you recognize when you feel a bit off and help remedy the steps you need to take before you are thrown off balance. Whether you are juggling your career, personal life and relationships – you need to prioritize yourself, because without you – you can’t really do much can you. So don’t forget to love yourself and smile on.