Contributed by – Healthians Team
Running to catch the cab on time or hustling to complete the project before the deadline; appearing for your final exams or waiting for the results; travelling to a new place or interacting with a new face – All such situations can be stressful for all of us.
Well, stress is normal. We all feel stressed almost every day. However, there is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy stress. It can take over your life and become a mental disorder without you knowing about it. In fact, you might just wake up in the morning feeling stressed and out of sorts even before the day has begun.
Now, how do you make your beginning of the day more relaxed? What should you do to have happy mornings? How can you control your stress? To help you in stress management, we have 5 things that you should try to make your mornings less stressful and more enjoyable.
Keep your gadgets away
Social media – admit it, the last thing you do before sleeping and the first thing that comes to your mind in the morning is to check your social media accounts. Constant updates, late-night notifications and fear of missing out and the constant need for validation from our peers has ensured that social media has taken over our lives. It is no wonder then that it is amongst the major cause of stress these days. Though we cannot stay away from it completely, we can, however, manage its usage.
It is advisable to turn off any and all kinds of gadget an hour before the bed-time. Be it your TV, laptop or your mobile phone; turn everything off before your bedtime and keep them away from your eyesight. Studies have proved that blue light from the screen disrupts sleep pattern and makes it hard for us to fall asleep. And poor sleep quality is closely related to high levels of stress.
In the morning, take your time to dive back into the world of gadgets. Instead of checking your phone for the latest news, message or mail, dedicate time to yourself. Enjoy the freshness of the morning. Have a healthy breakfast and spend some time with your family. You can also plan your day or do some workout which will help in stress management. Mornings can be the best part of the day. Learn to make the most from them.
Plan your day
Planning your day in advance will help you prevent last moment stress. When a plan is laid out in front of you, you know what exactly and in what order you are supposed to do. Either you can dedicate early hours of your day to make a plan or you can plan for the next day before going to bed.
Create a to-do list that lists down all the tasks you need to complete on the same day. Secondly, prioritize them, no one can achieve everything in a day, so prioritizing tasks helps you decide what needs your immediate attention and what can be handled later on. Thirdly, allot each task a time slot and at last, execute your plan. Even the tasks like deciding what to wear the next day should be planned as such small things can cause last-minute stress. When you will have everything decided, all you will need to focus on will be the execution.
Move your body
Yoga, cardio, Pilates, HIIT, running and what not are being adopted, promoted and fawned over by millions these days. What’s all the hype? You ask. Well, as fitness gains attention, new forms of keeping fit emerge. Not only do these make you fit but they are also great stress busters.
Indulging in some sort of physical activity is always a great idea. Try and make a schedule wherein you get at least 20 minutes of physical activity in your day. You can go running or yoga or cardio. But, make sure you pick something you enjoy. Never force yourself to do something you don’t like as you won’t reap benefits out of it.
While planning for a workout schedule, do not forget to add rest days into your routine. Rest days are important to give time to your muscles to relax and get ready for the next day. Another important thing is to mix exercises. Dedicate each day to each set of muscles instead of doing the same set of exercises each day. This method will make sure that all the body parts are equally targeted and will also keep your routine from getting boring.
Indulge in self-care
Self-care is not being selfish. It is simply taking care of yourself. It is always said that to be able to take care of others, you must first learn to take care of yourself. Dedicate some time of the day to yourself and pamper yourself. Prioritizing yourself helps you feel positive and energetic so that you are able to handle anything that comes your way.
Self-care helps us relax. So, during this time of the day which you have taken out just for you, keep all the worries of the world aside. Just focus on what your mind needs to relax. It can be anything from a session in a salon to a hobby lesson. You can even spend this time with your family or friends if this is what helps you to relax.
Acknowledge your stress
Always remember – stress is normal. Do not belittle yourself just because you think something is wrong with your mental health. Every person on this planet is going through something or the other. You are not alone. Do not ignore your condition but acknowledge it. Accept that you have some trouble and that you need to do something about it. If none of the ways above work, talk to your friends and family. Ask for help. Go for therapy. This will not make you small or sick but will only help you get stronger.
Stress is something that we all face at some point. Just the extent of it varies from individual to individual. We all have to understand that everyone around us are fighting some sort of battles. And this fact should be enough for all of us to be supportive towards all those around us. If not help, we all can at least be kind and that will be enough to not add more troubles in the lives of others.
