Do you have a lot of responsibilities? A lot of schoolwork left to do? Too much on your mind? All of these responsibilities have an effect on your mental health and overall well-being. Too many things on your mind can lead you to worry too much and even worsen your mental health, leading to a greater risk of developing mental health problems. As you start to have mental health problems, your tendency to overthink and worry can increase, causing more stress, anxiety, and bad habits to repeat themselves. Personally, I’ve also struggled with not being able to control my stress levels and although I’ve always been a bit of an anxious person, my stress wouldn’t let me enjoy my everyday life. I couldn’t do basic things without thinking of all of the responsibilities I had left to do, bothering my mind. Luckily, I was able to find relief by following the following steps: practicing self-care, sleeping, and exercising.
Self-care is promoting your health by taking the time to do things related to healthy well-being. You can practice self-care by doing activities like taking a nap, talking with at least ten people every day, taking short breaks while doing your schoolwork, or going outdoors. If you think self-care is the perfect way to cope with stress or anxiety, you should make sure to fit at least one day a week for a self-care routine into your schedule. Maybe that day will include buying some face masks and going out with friends, binge-watching your favorite comfort tv show, meditating, or even just walking around a nearby park. Some of my personal tips include listening to music, playing with pets, or swimming.
Alongside the importance of self-care, one should always practice sleeping well. The average teenager should sleep at least eight to nine hours to maximize brain function, energy, and memory retention. However, in reality, most teenagers aren’t able to sleep enough due to schoolwork, jobs, or overthinking and end up sleeping less than six hours a night. This issue can be solved by sleeping enough during the weekends, taking light naps during the day, or just resting your eyes for five minutes. A good night’s rest helps reduce anxiety and stress by allowing the brain to rest well, making you feel calmer and more prepared than you would if you just slept for a few hours.
Another example of an essential activity that can help cope with stress or anxiety is exercise. Studies show that exercising for at least fifty minutes a day can have a very positive impact on your health. Exercise can increase your overall well-being by pumping up your endorphins, causing your brain to have a temporary feel-good moment. Alongside endorphins, exercise decreases your fight-or-flight hormones of Adrenaline and Cortisol, improving your calmness and giving you a sense of relaxation. Besides its great mood effects, exercise gets your blood flowing throughout your body, reducing your risks of developing long-term health problems.
If you struggle with de-stressing, try practicing self-care for a change, maybe it’ll help calm you down and take your worries off your mind. If you feel that self-care isn’t enough, maybe changing your routine to fit in eight hours of sleep and exercise will help your anxiety and stress to calm down. If that doesn’t help, try talking to a professional psychologist, social worker, or counselor.
Citations:
Fight, Flight, Freeze: What This Response Means. Healthline.Nunez, K. (2020,
Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress. (2022, August 3). Mayo Clinic.
Sleep in Middle and High School Students | Healthy Schools | CDC. (n.d.).
De-Stress | Self-Care and Stress Reduction | Amherst College. (n.d.).
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