And Breathe...Helping you to de-stress

Stress is a part of everyday life and it can be helpful in motivating us to do certain tasks and be more productive, but too much stress can have a negative impact on our health, so it is important to try to relax and worry less about the small things.

We know this is a stressful time for lots of you, but we are here to reassure you that there is no need to panic. There is lots of support available to you if you need it!

We are all different and all worry about different things, but there are ways you alleviate your stress levels! So, I’ve put together a few examples of worries that you might have and ways that you can change your mindset and relax!

Studies

We know studying must be very difficult during this time, but we are incredibly proud of how hard you are all working during the crisis. Remember to give yourself some credit – and some time off! It is important to set goals, but if you find that you are more productive on some days than others, that’s okay too!

Spending lots of time inside the house will affect us all in different ways, so try to be mindful of your situation and don’t push yourself too hard when it comes to your studies. If you are worried or anxious about anything at all, reach out and get the support you need – don’t struggle on your own!

Remind yourself that you are capable and resilient. You will do well. Having a day off might even help you to feel refreshed and energised. If you find that you can only do a couple of hours a day, that’s enough – it is more important that you look after your health and wellbeing.

For help and support with your studies contact your lecturers or email deanofstudents@herts.ac.uk

Exercise 

Exercise is important – it can help brain function, improve memory, keep us feeling refreshed and energised, and it can be a great distraction from the current circumstances.

However, it is important not to push yourself to do exercise if you don’t have the energy. You don’t want to exhaust yourself! Yes, being healthy is important but try not to punish yourself for the exercise you don’t do.

This is a tough time and lots of us will feel exhausted without doing much! So, make sure you don’t push yourself too hard.

During the coronavirus pandemic lots of advice has been given to people to get involved in regular activities and keep fit. This is important but try not to feel under pressure to stay in shape or to do activity every day if you don’t feel up to it. It’s okay to relax. It’s okay to take some time to do absolutely nothing. This is actually incredibly important too and allows our bodies to recover and re-energise.

Food and diet

During the lockdown there have been lots of worries surrounding food and overeating. Although it is important to be healthy and get a balanced diet, it is also important to take care of your mental health. Worrying too much about what you are eating can start to have negative impacts on your mental health. During the lockdown, do be careful what you eat and try to eat a balanced diet as this will help you to feel better and be more productive, but don’t punish yourself for having a few snacks!

Be kind to yourself, focus on your self-development, your mental health and your wellbeing. Try not to worry about the small things like how many chocolate bars you’ve eaten today, this will allow you more time to focus on more important things.

Avoid negative thoughts about eating. This is a tough time for all of us and our daily lives have changed, so it is only natural that our eating habits will too. This isn’t something you should feel bad about.

If you have an eating disorder or you are worried that someone you know might have an eating disorder, there are lots of support services available to you. We know this must be an extremely challenging time for you, but you don’t have to go through it alone.

BEAT  have lots of guidance and support available to you online. Their helpline team are still working from home to help those who are struggling. If you are worried or concerned please reach out.

To find out more about different eating disorders and how you can get help for yourself or someone you know, visit the NHS website for more information.

Technology 

Technology is another thing that can cause us unnecessary stress. Technology can be great to help us keep connected with others but if you are using it a lot it can cause added stress and affect mental health.

Technology and social media allow social comparison to thrive which can actually make us feel stressed, anxious and low. We are all particularly vulnerable during this time as we have limited activities to involve ourselves with, so lots of us are spending more time on our phones or laptops. It can be hard sometimes to remember what ‘relaxing’ is, as we are constantly connected to others via technology. Remember to take time for yourself.

It can be helpful to turn off your phone and laptop for a few hours during the day and just take some time to focus on yourself. Try to spend your time doing other activities, such as; colouring, writing, watching films and spend less time on social media.

Always take what people put on social media with a pinch of salt. Remember, people are only going to share the best version of themselves online so try not to compare yourself to others online. We are all different. We all have different interests and goals; we all have different worries and concerns and we are all dealing with this in our own way. Be yourself and try not to compare yourself to others – we are all amazing in our own way!

Final thoughts

It can be too easy sometimes to be self-critical but remember you don’t need to be doing something productive every second of the day. Try not to punish yourself or feel guilty if you haven’t done enough work or haven’t eaten healthy enough. Worrying so much about small things can eventually lead to big problems so try to relax as much as possible.

Setting yourself goals for relaxation can be helpful. For example, putting your phone away for an hour a day or having one day of complete rest a week. Remember to praise yourself for the work you do and try not to be so hard on yourself! Whether you have fitness goals, or you have none, you’ve been eating lots of fruit or lots of chocolate, you’ve planned what you’re doing for the next 10 years or you haven’t got out of bed yet – we are all different, so be yourself and relax! Being you is enough!

For more tips about looking after your mental wellbeing while staying at home, click here.