How to deal with stress this Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness around stress. Most people will experience stress in one way or another at some point in their life, which is why it’s important to know how to manage stress when we do experience it.

Many aspects of daily life can cause stress, whether that be your work, finances and this has been especially heightened since the COVID-19 outbreak last March.

Dealing with stress means that your mental wellbeing doesn’t take a toll if something stressful happens to you, learning to manage the situation can make all the difference.

We’ve got some helpful tips on how to manage stressful situations:

Connect with others

Being stuck with your thoughts won’t help you feel any less stressed, which is why it’s so important to connect with others when you’re feeling stressed. Speaking to others allows you to express how you’re feeling and means that they can support you through a difficult time. If you don’t have someone you feel comfortable talking to, try writing your thoughts down in a diary or journal.

Have some ‘you’ time

It can be very easy to get caught up in day-to-day life, meaning you often end up leaving little time for yourself. It’s important to schedule some me time to do the things that make you happy, whether that be a relaxing bath, reading your favourite book or having a call with your friend. You should make time for yourself at least once a week, giving you time to de-stress and collect your thoughts.

Exercise

Exercising is a great form of dealing with stress – firstly, it releases endorphins so when you work out you become happier, so it helps to instantly make you feel a bit better. Plus, by focusing your time on your health and body rather than the factor that is stressing you out, you are taking control of the situation and not allowing the stress to control your life.

If you think exercise would help you deal with your stress but the thought of going to a busy gym is daunting to you, working out at home can be a better, long-term solution.

By working out at home, you eliminate travel time to the gym, monthly costs and comfort.  At home, you can work out whenever you are feeling stressed, you don’t have monthly costs to worry about (likely to cause more stress if you are struggling with finances) and you are in the comfort of your own home.

If you think working out at home could benefit you, Fit4® can help you. We have a range of fitness equipment and machines to help you work out the best you can at home. You can shop our product range here.

The NHS have a helpful guide on how to manage stress, if your feelings of stress are causing feelings of depression or anxiety then be sure to speak to a professional.