Stress Less in 2019: Ten Ways You Can Genuinely Improve Your Wellbeing

Friday, January 4, 2019




1.Learn a new skillLearning something new can be incredibly satisfying, and gives you something to work towards and aim for. Achieving a goal you’ve set can be fantastic for giving your mental health as well as your self confidence a boost. It could be something practical like learning to drive, or something purely for the fun of it, such as learning how to paint in watercolour, how to arrange flowers or how to play a musical instrument. It’s easy to fall into a routine of work, eat, sleep repeat as an adult, which can feel really quite limiting and depressing at times. Giving yourself something to work on like this can push you out of your comfort zone, build your skills and enable you to meet like minded people. Have a think about what your passions are, are you a creative type? Is there a language you’ve always wanted to learn? Is there something you’ve always fancied giving a try? Make it happen!

2. Focus on health
It’s been clearly established that there’s a strong link between mental and physical health. Looking after your body and giving it everything it needs really can boost the way you feel for a number of reasons. Exercise can regulate hormones and improve sleep which can both contribute to improved mood. Eating well and working out will allow you to look your best, which can boost your self confidence. A nutritious diet will give you lots of energy so you feel good and ready to tackle whatever life throws at you. The trick is to focus on what you have to gain rather than what you’ll be missing out on by making changes. It’s not about restricting all of the things you like, running in the rain at 6am every morning and surviving on a diet of rabbit food. It’s about healthy, tasty, nutritious meals. The chance to experiment and have fun with cooking. An opportunity to try out different sports and activities. You can still have occasional treats, it needs to be sustainable for the long term. Instead of feeling like you’re ‘on a diet’, consider them healthy life changes. Looking after your body will certainly give your mental health and overall wellbeing a boost.

3. Evaluate your career goals
We spend so much of our time at work, most of us are in the workplace for forty hours a week. So if you’re not happy here, it’s fair to say that you won’t be a happy person in general. Feelings of frustration, inadequacy, being overworked or unappreciated in your job can seep out to the rest of your life. No workplace is perfect, but if you’re unhappy where you are and have been for a while- why not consider a change? Maybe you want a job that’s better paid, or something that’s more rewarding. Maybe you’re fed up of commuting and want to work from home or start your own business. Think seriously about what you want to do, and what you’d need to to do get there.

4. Improve your education
If you are planning to change career or advance in your current career then taking on some more education will usually be the best way to go about it. You could study towards a degree, or if you already have a degree then take some further education to specialise. For example, if you’re already a qualified nurse you could undertake a program like the online msn fnp, enabling you to become a family practitioner. Best of all, education can be done online these days in a flexible way. If you’re not able to quit your job and study at university for three whole years, you could take an online course in your spare time. This allows you to earn and learn at the same time. Even if you’re not planning on changing career, improving your education is still something that’s worthwhile. There are plenty of online courses that you could study because you’ve always had an interest in the subject. Or you could attend a local college for an evening class.

5. Take a look at your budget
Money is one of the biggest sources of stress in most of our lives as adults. Not having enough to make ends meet, falling into arrears and debt and feeling like you’re working for nothing is never nice. In many cases, making adjustments to your budget can make things a lot easier. Spend a morning on a comparison site, running quotes through for your utilities, insurances and other monthly bills. Savings here can really add up, better in your pocket than in that of big companies. Take a look at your food spend, many of us waste food and therefore money just by being disorganised. Take some time at the weekend to batch cook meals and freeze them, that way you always have healthy, home cooked food available even if you don't have much time and your fresh ingredients have run out. Meal prep lunches for the week and take your own food instead of spending on takeout and convenient lunches as they’ll always be far more expensive. Consider things like digital subscriptions- Netflix, Spotify and Amazon Prime. Deactivate anything you’re not getting much use out of, it’s an easy way to free up cash in your budget.

6. Improve your appearance
Self confidence is so important. When you feel confident about the way you look on the outside, it can make you feel good on the inside. Treat yourself, have your hair done or get a facial. Buy some new makeup and use Youtube to learn techniques for how to best apply it. Buy yourself some new outfits that flatter your figure and make your feel good. It’s more than just being shallow, the way we look is the way we present ourselves to the world. You don’t have to be a fashion model or beauty queen, but making the effort to make the most of yourself is one way to improve your mental health.

7. Maintain social connections
The world can feel a little lonely at times. Despite the fact that we share a planet with billions of others and we’re more connected than ever, it’s easy to become isolated. Maybe you work alone, or don’t meet new people often. Perhaps you’ve grown apart from friends, or long to find a new relationship. Make the effort to connect more- join a dating app or a meetup group to meet like minded people. Reach out to acquaintances, see if they’d like to join you for a coffee or rekindle old friendships. Say yes to more social opportunities, and keep an open mind. You never know who you might meet! If you already have some good friendships, make an effort to maintain them. Have people over to your home for a dinner party, or arrange a catch up at a local bar. In the summer, you can go on picnics, host barbeques and much more.

8. Consider moving home
Home really is where the heart is, and if you’re unhappy with your living space then it’s worth considering a change. Maybe you’re in a neighbourhood which has gone downhill and you’re worried about crime. Perhaps you’ve outgrown your space, and need more room to be able to properly store your belongings. You might be too far from your work, or loved ones. Moving home is a great opportunity to start fresh. You get a new blank canvas and can really start living life the way you want to. It might seem like an extreme step, but if you’re not content then what’s the harm in browsing through properties and seeing what your options are?

9. Book a tripTravel is never a waste of time or money. You gain so much from seeing a new place in the world, you get to understand different cultures and customs, learn about religion, food and talk to interesting people. You can either relax or explore, either way you’ll get your mind blown by incredible sights- whether its cityscapes, landscapes or seeing amazing animals in their natural environment. If you’re in a rut and life feels mundane, booking a trip can be a fantastic way to break the monotony. It gives you something to plan and look forward to, and can make working hard during the year all feel worth it.

10. Get to know yourself
Getting to know yourself, what you’re about and what makes you tick can really help when it comes to managing your moods and emotions. It might feel like a strange concept, getting to know yourself, after all, you’re ‘you’ and spend every day with yourself. But the human brain is an incredibly elusive and interesting thing. Many of your desires, drives and emotions are fuelled by the subconscious- the part of your brain you don’t control. Journalling, therapy, even chatting with friends can all be cathartic, to enable you to let out thoughts you might not have consciously realised you had and then work through them.

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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for sharing this. I having to figure out how to not get stressed out at work.

    http://www.amysfashionblog.com/blog-home/

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