Over 12 days in the lead-up to Christmas, I’ll be writing 12 posts all about boosting your wellbeing…

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

12 quotes to inspire and live by, 11 song lyrics and movie quotes to boost and motivate, 10 websites for when life gets tough… and

9 ways to de-stress!

HAPPy holidays (1)

Stop, sit down and breathe. When it all gets too much and your to-do list is never ending, it is tempting to continue running around like a headless chicken, in the hope you will finish everything. Do NOT do this! Your priority should always be taking care of yourself, so if you start to feel very stressed, you need to stop. Go for a walk and some fresh air, sit down on the sofa, do basically whatever it takes to feel relaxed. Then face your to-do list with fresh eyes and vigor when you feel ready.
Say no (and/or ask for help). If you have too much to do, or too many events to attend that are tiring you out, you can say no! It’s a hard thing to do for many of us, but it’s far worse to burn yourself out or start making mistakes at work because you have to rush everything. Please, also, ask for help. Your friends, family and colleagues are there for you and 95% of the time, they want to support you.
Take a sip of what you need. I see nothing wrong with having a glass of wine, port, champagne, coffee, tea, herbal tea…or whatever you need to relax, particularly over Christmas! As long as you don’t overdo it and use it constantly as a de-stresser, pour yourself a bevvy and chill out 🙂
Turn up the music and dance. Music has such potential to relax and re-energise us. If you need to relax, put on some slow-paced music with positive lyrics, lie back and chill. Ready to re-energise? Turn up your favourite upbeat tunes! For extra points, dance around your living room or office… Warning: This may shock some colleagues.
Sweat it out. Yes, we hear this all the time, but that is because it works!! Exercise truly is a cure for stress. For me, running is a fantastic stress reliever. However it is important let go of any speed, strength or distance objectives if you are feeling stressed, as all that matters is you get out there and get the endorphin rush!
Pamper yourself. One thing I am hopeless at doing is making time to pamper myself. I love getting a massage and it really gets rid of any tension that has built up in my body. Doesn’t work for everyone, but if you’re like me, try to spend the time and money getting at least a couple of massages per year.
Think happy thoughts. When you feel stressed, try to think about something you are either looking forward to or are thinking about doing. This could be a party or meeting with a friend taking place the following weekend, or starting to look into planning a future dream holiday. Spend some time focusing on the happy things you’re working towards…
Learn to let go. This is a tough one to do but is seemingly the most simple option of them all, let go of your stress! You have to realise that you can’t control other people or events. You can’t control what your frustrated boss writes to you in an email, or what that car driving too slowly in front of you does. The only thing you can control is you and your reaction to something. Try to remember that your boss’s tone is harsh because they are frustrated. The car moving at snail’s pace may be driven by someone who’s terrified of driving. You cannot change what others do, so focus on letting your negative feelings go…
Walk away. If a job or relationship has been stressing you out for a prolonged period of time, and you feel like you have tried everything to reduce the stress, it may be time to call quits. There is no shame in this, at the end of the day you have to take care of number one, YOU. Read my experience of walking away from stress here.