IN CASE you didn’t know, the month of April is also recognized as “Stress Awareness Month.” Yes, it’s a thing and has been since 1992. According to the social Stress Awareness Month website, it is “a national, cooperative effort to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.”
During the annual observance, health care professionals join forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for the modern stress epidemic.
Though stress cannot be prevented because truth be told, it’s part of life, there are plenty of ways to manage it and its negative effects. Here are some ideas:
Try a social media detox
Though social media helps you connect with the world and keeps you updated, sometimes it causes stress especially with all the bad news happening around.
Give yourself a break! Unplug from the world. Turn your gadgets o . Enjoy the beauty of the present.
Get some rest
Schedule a day where you can be able to rest without any interruption. No work or social distractions. Just take time to relax. Do nothing or do something that relaxes you. Read a book. Watch your favorite show. Take a mindful walk. Enjoy a bubble bath with scented candles lit to make it more relaxing.
Start your day with meditation, affirmation
It has been proven that meditation can work wonders for your mental health by helping reduce stress, control anxiety and enhance self-awareness. As simple as saying, “I am good enough” or “I can do this” can help you get through the day.
Affirmations are positive statements that can help you fight negative thoughts. People turn to meditation tools such as smudge sticks, incense, crystals, aromatherapy, to name a few to help them clear their minds and focus better. Cebuana celebrity Ellen Adarna has been an advocate of mental health, and on her Instagram stories, she documents her daily affirmation and
uses smudge sticks to help her “cleanse and protect her energy” during her meditation.
Diwata Crafts owner Carolyn Kaye Mante shares the importance of cleansing and protecting one’s energy: “Our daily grind is filled with positive and negative energy so I try to maintain balance so I can function properly. I believe in the importance of cleansing and protecting one’s energy.
Whether it be meditation, an hour to myself at the crafting table just to weave, or smudging, I feel a sense of lightness and release after each ritual.”
Write on your journal
One way to handle stress is to write things down. Jot down what you’re stressed about and on the next page, write about what you’re grateful for. Gratitude may help you relieve your stress and anxiety as your thoughts will be focusing on what’s positive in your life.
Scream, sing or sigh
One of the easiest ways to release stress is by letting it all out. Some people even prefer to go to a place where they can shoot or throw something on the wall or destroy something to release heavy feelings. But the most practical and easiest way is to let it all out by screaming, singing or releasing a deep sigh. Can’t scream because you’re in a public place? Sigh to release the tension in your upper body or sing along to your favorite song to release endorphins and oxytocin.