Chilling out and other ways to cut that stress out of your life

Did you know that stress affects your life in all sorts of ways, not just at the time you’re feeling it, but for days, weeks and even years down the line?

It’s easy to get stressed out, but this can lead to headaches, lack of sleep, loss of friends, difficulty in communicating and depression. Here are some ways you can avoid stress and give yourself a healthy life balance.

Relationships

Be kind, polite and friendly. You will find that people are more likely to be kind, polite and friendly back. This will create a  positive and supportive environment for you and your friends. Help out a friend if they seem stressed, and they may just do the same for you. Try to always think positive. Avoid arguments and unnecessary negativity whenever possible.

Family

Make sure you help around the house and talk to your parents and siblings. Try and make time to sit down with your family and have a meal or watch a film together. If your parents have money worries or other problems, try not to worry too much yourself. If it’s something you can’t cope with, talk to a teacher or phone a helpline. Try not to bottle things up.

School

Just do the best you can. If you feel you have made the wrong exam choices or you’re finding things difficult, talk to a teacher. Talking to someone else can help you see things more clearly and sort out your problems. Join in as much as you can, even if you’re shy; you’ll make friends that way. Don’t forget that everyone’s different, so don’t be afraid to always be yourself.

The Future

Set yourself achievable goals and, if you have a setback, don’t give up. If you’re not academic, don’t see it as a failing; it isn’t. Channel your energy into doing something else that you’re good at and enjoy. You don’t have to be top of the class or go to university to be a “success”.

Organising your time

Study a little bit every night. Try not to leave everything until the last minute. Doing things in small, manageable chunks is much less stressful. Make time to be with your family and friends and do things that you enjoy too. If it helps, make a timetable for Monday to Friday and stick to it. That way you’ll get things done and  won’t need to panic.

So…

Eat well, get enough sleep, don’t spend all your time on the computer, see family and friends, talk, relax and do things you enjoy. Don’t worry about things that you have no control over and be yourself.