The Stress - our Archenemy

Stress is the one thing that can make a young, happy, healthy person feel like 60 years old with many health issues. We all have experienced it even when we were children - talking in front of the class, taking an exam or moving to another school is always stressful. You would think that we should've mastered it by now, but in reality, the older you get, the more responsibilities you have, and it's just impossible to catch on.

There are plenty of ways to relieve stress with the fastest and simplest - staying with ourselves in a quiet room or out in nature. The problem is that we're so obsessed with our phones and computers that every time we're alone, we keep staring at them, and I swear - these devilish devices are nothing but extra stress and anxiety. So we need some extra motivation, and here comes the planning.

LISTS

If you are stressed because you feel overwhelmed with tasks and responsibilities, the first thing to do is to make a list. In fact, you should make a few lists: first, your most urgent and most important tasks. If something is super important but is due next month, add the date next to it so you know you have to check it off later. Keep this list in a place you see every day - on your desk, on your wall or as a background on your laptop - just don't put it in a bag and forget about it.

The following list should be the tasks for today. And then one for the week and one for the month. You start checking off the tasks day by day, one by one. List everything - shopping (another list needed here), getting nails done, doing homework, cleaning the oven, taking a bath, etc.

ACTIVITY

The easiest thing is to go for a walk in the park. I don't know where you live, but there must be some green area nearby, enjoy it. You can run or ride a bike if you feel up to it. These are perfect for your tonus, but walking is also great. You can appreciate nature and hear people talking and kids laughing, at least on summer days. You can sit on a bench with a favourite magazine or a sketchbook and collect vitamin D.

Or you can practise a sport if you don't yet. In future posts, I will offer more suggestions and ideas about different sports and hobbies you can do to relieve stress and improve your lifestyle.

RELAXATION

Reward your senses. Meditate or take a bath in combination with aromatherapy. Go for a massage. Drink a freshly brewed hot coffee in the morning. Make love or hug someone. Go to a free gallery or a museum. Listen to feel-good music - bossa nova, Longue, deep house, chill step mixes or your favourite 90s songs. But if they bring memories that make you sad, stay in the present. A wise person once said, "New is always better". Even so, I wouldn't recommend shopping therapy as a stress relief because it will bring more stuff you don't need in your house, plus you add the stress from the recklessly spent money. So if you want to buy something - buy a new hairstyle or a massage instead of a new dress or book.