Stress!

This time of year for most students can be pretty stressful, what with exams, assignments, finding summer jobs and wanting to be outside in the sunshine instead! I thought I would write this weeks blog from my own struggles with stress and what I have learned to do to deal with it.

So here goes:

1. It's ok to feel stressed! Sometimes stress is a good thing (for example if you were being chased by dinosaurs and didn't bat an eyelid, you would probably get eaten very quickly!) but more often than not - it's normal! You are not weak if you are stressed or show signs of being stressed - it's just part of life.
2. Know the signs of your stress. I personally get very physical signs, like heart palpitations, fidgety or restlessness, but others don't. I know some people get very insular and don't really fancy doing anything, even going down the pub for a catch up and I know others who will do anything and everything apart from face what's stressing them out. It's different for everyone but knowing your own symptoms will help you cope with it.
   
   
3. Talk to someone about it. I know people say this a lot but it really does help. I would never speak to someone I knew about things like that but I could speak to a stranger about it - so I did. Having had that experience I now feel more comfortable talking to my friends and family. The people you have around you will support you, so don't be afraid to talk. If you genuinely feel you can't then write it down. Just getting thoughts out of your head will help you make sense of it all.
4. Work out how to alleviate your stress. For some people walking away from what is stressing them out and coming back to it works. For others they need to face it head on, deal with it and power forward. I found that I was different in different situations, which makes things more tricky to work out in the first instance, but once you get to grips with it you'll know what to do quite quickly. 
5. Some ways I reduce stress my levels are to make sure I get enough sleep, exercise and being outdoors if it's nice weather, listening to music, watching films and drinking a cup of hot, sweet tea. Never underestimate the healing powers of a cuppa!

This is just from my own experiences and everyone is different. Hopefully by writing about it people will feel able to deal with stress in a positive way.

There are counselling services available all over the country, through schools, universities and charities, so if you want to talk to someone but feel you have no where to go, have a look for these services.