Deal With Your Stress Beast
There is no doubt that uni life can be stressful at times, but don’t let it beat you. We have come up with these 5 top tips to enable you to tame the beast that is stress.
Exercise Regulary
Keeping your body active will help to relieve your mind of the stresses of daily life. It does so by releasing feel-good brain chemicals(neurotransmitters, endorphins and endocannabinoids).
You don’t necessarily need to go crazy and run the equivalent of the marathon but just by taking a daily walk in the fresh air your mind should start to feel at ease.
Meditate, Relaxation And Breathing Exercises
You may think that sitting like Buddha and chanting isn’t for you, but meditation is so much more than that. It is about relaxing your mind by sitting in a quiet, relaxing and comfortable place and focusing on your breathing.
The science bit: meditation increases the brain signaling in the left side of the brain (the side responsible for positive emotions) whilst decreasing the signalling in the right side (the side responsible for negative emotions). Added bonus apparently it slows down the signs of aging.
There are loads of other ways to get into a relaxing place in your mind, we also recommend taking a long hot bath with oils or sitting in a quiet place with calming music.
Eat And Sleep Well
Your food choices can play a huge role in your stress levels. Aim to eat High-fiber, carbohydrate-rich foods such as sweet potatoes and minestrone soup. Plenty of fruit and vegetables are essential stress busters. Citrus fruits in particular are great as they provide plenty of vitamin C, a stress-busting antioxidant.
Although we know it is pretty much impossible to avoid fatty foods all-together but try to limit your intake as these can make you feel lethargic which won’t help combat stress.
Improve your concentration and productivity, alongside reducing your irritability by a getting good nights sleep. This rest will help you solve problems and in turn help stressful situations feel less stressful.
Talk To Others
Confiding in your trusted friends, family or fellow students can be really beneficial. A problem shared is a problem halved after all.
We have Counselling and Mental Health Team on campus, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are really struggling.
