YOU ARE NOT YOUR STRESS

Do you wake up every morning as if you have no energy left in your body? Are you cranky at work and feel that you are losing perspective of your life? 
Perhaps it is time you take a few minutes off from whatever you are doing, and consider that you may be suffering from stress. Fear not, stress is something all of us suffer from time to time. What matters is how we deal with it. 
Here are a few stress busters that you can adopt for reducing 
stress in your life:

Use a calendar
Calendars and to-do lists are tools that you can use to cure your life from stress. Break down a big task into small one hour tasks. Mark your calendar with specific hours of the day during which you will accomplish those tasks. Tasks can be professional or personal. Often times we use calendars for office work. 

Use them for personal tasks too, such as going to the salon, the gym or meeting a friend. You can buy hard copy calendars from stationary stores. However, phone and Internet based calendars are best as you can update on the go. 

So before you try out any of these tips, download a calendar app in your phone, or buy one!

Write it down
Jotting down what is bothering you is the first step you can take to face your stress. Pour your heart out and then mark on points that are causing major stress. Now write down an action work beside the stress issue that will help you address or solve it. 

For instance, let's say not speaking with your sister is upsetting you, then write the action word, "call sister." Commit a date and time in your calendar at which you will perform the action. Perhaps you decided you will call your sister this weekend, mark the date in your calendar, call her and get it over with! There is no use carrying around 

burdens in your heart - they only make your heart heavy and sad!

Ask yourself
Am I getting enough sleep? What do I do right before I head to my bed? Chances are that you have surrounded yourself with the curses of digital media. Let go off the TV, tablet, and phone at least an hour before you go to sleep. 

Well, let's start with at least fifteen minutes before you head to your bed-right around when you brush your teeth? If you take this baby step of getting away from technology, then you are rewarding yourself with a greater chance of getting better sleep. 

According to Feng Shui, a Chinese stress reducing concept, letting go off the TV, computer and any tech-based equipment from your bedroom will significantly reduce your stress. It gives us all the more reason to be more attentive towards ourselves.

Set your bedroom lighting
Light is the most essential nutrient for creating a stress free environment, especially in your bedroom. If possible, get rid of white luminescent overhead lights that make your room feel like it is day time. Avoid this full spectrum lighting, and get energy saving, golden light bulbs in lamp shades that give a dark and welcoming bedroom, suitable for sound sleep. Some lamps come with dimmers that allow you to control the brightness of the light. These are useful as you can adjust the lighting when you want to read a book or sleep.

Breathe
Sit up straight, close your eyes and place a hand on your belly. Now slowly inhale through your nose, feel the breath start in your abdomen and work its way to your head. Exhale and feel the breath flow out from your head through your nostrils. Do this for five minutes every few hours, especially on high stress days. It will significantly reduce your stress, and relax your muscles and mind.

Connect with friends
Yes, hang out with friends, and do it in real life, face to face, and not on Skype or Google chat. Laughing, sharing a scrumptious meal or just going for a walk in the park with your friend can make you feel rooted, calm and relaxed. If you haven't seen your friends for a while, then call them and meet them ASAP!

Give yourself a spa treatment
Many say going to the spa can help you reduce stress. That is very much true, but it can also be very expensive. Why not give yourself a spa treatment? Warm up hair oil and slowly massage your scalp and work your way through the hair roots and ends. Get an ample amount of olive oil or your favourite kind of moisturiser on your palm, and massage your body. Definitely massage the feet, neck and legs. Doing this will make you aware of your own body and be appreciative of what you have in your life.

Time to move your bum
When was the last time you jumped? Or ran? Exercise will immensely relieve you from stress and give you that time to think things through. Although it may seem strenuous to work out at times, but all that hard work will help you get rid of toxic thoughts and pump happy hormones. Take a hot bubble bath, sip on a healthy drink, and you are ready to take on the day with full on positivity.

Buy your own groceries
Perhaps you do not get time to cook, but buying your own groceries will make you conscious about what you eat every day. Fill your cart with colourful and beautiful fruits and veggies, along with essential grains, oils and carbs. Make it a conscious effort to be aware of what you eat. You will observe remarkable changes in your stress level. Pursue a hobby.

Be grateful
Keep a gratitude journal. It can be a regular Facebook or Twitter update, or an entry in your beloved personal diary. Observe, be present in your life, and take note of the tiniest little things that bring a smile to your face. 

It may be a pat from your father, the flower growing in your garden, or even the occasional scolding from your mother for waking up late. These are the things that keep us alive, and make us realise what a joy it is to live this life. In the beginning it may seem to be a tedious task to keep a journal. Start small by doing a journal entry every week, and you will definitely notice the positive change in your life.

These are some tried and tested tips that you can adopt in your life to reduce stress. The danger of lingering on to stress is that it takes away the best of us. Remember, you are not your stress. You are much more than that. You are full of possibilities, and handling stress is a must for bringing out your true self. Try out these tips, and let us know how it goes!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Hritika, Tania, Missouri, Bimol and Shaawon
Wardrobe: Le Reve
Make-up: Farzana Shakil