Three Easy Ways to Deal with Stress
This year has been a crazy one, accepting a full-time job that required intense training and ramp-up, taking care of a puppy I couldn’t get potty trained for the life of me, being asked to be the maid of honor in two weddings a week apart, and really taking things up a notch with my blog. Needless to say, my brain was melting out of my ears and I had to stop for a second to regain control. I’m sure many of you feel like this and some may call it “adulting” but shit is stressful! So, I am giving you three easy ways that I deal with stress so that you don’t lose your marbles.
1. Stay Organized!
I don’t know about you but if I don’t write things down it’s going straight out the window. That’s why I have many forms of “to-do” lists all around me. I have a whiteboard that I keep in my kitchen- I mainly use this for things I need to get done personally or items I need for the house. Example “pay credit card bill by the 21st” or pick up dish soap and paper towels.”
Buy a planner. I always jot down events and reminders in my calendar on my phone but because I’m a very visual person and like to look at an entire calendar month at once, I needed a planner. This has been a lifesaver and it’s small enough that I can take it around with me if events come up while I’m out.
If you’re always on your computer like I am, download the Google Chrome extension Momentum. When you open up a new tab it replaces your internet home page. The display is always a landscape picture of a different place in the world and it’s gives you a new inspirational quote to live by each day. The best part of all is there is a to-do list on the side! I mainly use this during the day for work to prioritize what I need to accomplish. You can move each bullet point around depending on what is taking precedence and you can click a box to cross it off when you’re done.
2. Learn how to say, “NO.”
I would consider myself a people pleaser and always want to make everyone around me happy. I also suffer from severe FOMO and tend to feel pretty down when I am missing out on a blogging event, a get together with friends, concert, etc. If you are a blogger you also know that attending events is key in meeting people and working with brands. Some of the best collaborations I have been apart of have been because I met someone in PR at an event or met another blogger that knew someone that knew someone. At the end of the day, you can’t be eight places at once and trying to do it all can leave you feeling scatterbrained. Be realistic with yourself on what you can accomplish because you know yourself and your limits and when you push yourself too far you can come across not present. There will always be another event, another get together with friends and another concert.
3. Self Care
This is so important! If you’re not putting yourself first who is? Do you ever find yourself so busy that you’re not eating right, you’re not working out, you’re putting others needs before yours, and maybe drinking one too many glasses of wine? Yeah, me too. Take a step back and remember something- unless you are a heart surgeon, no one is dying on your hands and there is always tomorrow. That was the best words of advice I ever received from a mentor of mine when I first started Recruiting. If you work full time and your PTO allows it, take a personal day. Use this day to get stuff done around the house, go grocery shopping, go to the gym, meditate, or read a good book. I love self-help books because I’m always trying to better myself and one of my favorite authors is Gabby Bernstein. She talks a lot about self-care and how to stay positive. Someone once told her, ” I don’t have time to meditate.” And her response was, “do you have time to feel like shit?” Make time! Even if it’s not a day off, wake up a little bit earlier one day, even 30 minutes to yourself makes a world of difference.
Stay positive, stay healthy, stay honest with yourself, and slower times will come!
Xo
The Honest Blonde
