It’s summertime again! Remember when we were carefree children and enjoyed every single day of summer vacations? As we grew up, this time was a little left behind. Be it college students or working adults, summertime wasn’t a vacation anymore with jobs and placements to worry about. Although we can’t bring back all of the childhood fun, let’s try to bring some of it with us into adulthood in a few simple ways.
5 Ways to Stay Stress-Free this Summer
Routines
Yes, routines can be relaxing! When you stick to a routine, you will find yourself finishing the work early and have time left on your hand to have fun or just pamper yourself. If you find yourself easily stressed, routines help manage your time and you can plan your schedule in a way that balances both works and play. With the variety of wonderful planners, we get nowadays, even routines are getting fun to make. You also get so many apps on your phone with different customizations to help you plan ahead. Even if you are on a trip in the summer, a schedule can help you make the most of it, so that you don’t end up feeling like you missed out on a few things. If you keep to the routine regularly, then you will find yourself forming a habit that reduces your stress as you get used to it. A routine also lets you block out the time for the fun ahead.
Socializing
Be it from your kids’ playgroup or meeting via common friends, socialize with new people. While you might protest that you don’t have the time, or you simply don’t want to, socializing can open new avenues in your life. You might find out that you share a common interest, or you might find a new activity that interests you. Broadening your horizon will keep your mind fresh and stress-free. You can even throw a party at your own house and invite your friends for a good time together. Join a local nature group or visit places that have listed activities for the summer. Take up a new hobby and meet the enthusiasts of that field. It could be anything like pottery, painting, trekking, learning a new musical instrument, etc. At times, you might find the support you need from a new friend instead of an old one.
Exercise
Regular exercise helps you maintain your health and avoid the extra pounds you would put on during summertime. Exercise is rejuvenating for the mind as well as it stimulates the production of endorphins, the natural mood-elevators of our body. Whether you need to gain or lose weight, exercise can help you tone your body, as you get ready for some awesome summer clicks. Go for that jog in the park, or tune in to some music and break out your dance moves, keep your body active and your mind will follow. If you find that you are too lazy to exercise by yourself, make a friend group where you motivate each other or join a class where usually you can find great discounts for the summer. A stress-free summer is empty without a good dose of exercise mixed in it.
Food habits
While we won’t tell you to go on a diet, try to limit your portions. Summers are not what they were to us during childhood, which can make us sad at times. Food is an easy way out rather than taking note of our feelings, and that’s where the bingeing begins. The stress hormone which is cortisol increases in our body when we eat more food containing processed fat and sugar. It just alleviates our mood temporarily but simply doesn’t really help with the stress. Eating all the cheese wafers in the world won’t help you solve your stressing issue. Bingeing to avoid stress is like building a dam with paper towels, it just won’t work. Try to cook only the amount of food you need, so that you are not tempted to eat the leftovers. You can even do some culinary experiments to keep your taste buds guessing. Whereas if you try to limit your portions or make healthier choices some times and deal with the issue which is stressing you out, you might get more peace of mind.
Rest
How can the list be complete without mentioning rest! While summer may bring out the activeness or laziness in you, rest is something that goes with both. A good night’s sleep is like recharging your battery. Both your mind and body can do with the much-needed rest, which is a great way to combat stress. Rest doesn’t always mean sleep, there are many ways to relax. You can do some meditation, yoga, or even simply sit down for a while and do nothing. Some prefer silence and some prefer to listen to music as a way of relaxing. Rest helps with your cardiovascular health as well as refreshes your brain. Mental rest is just as important as physical rest. Try to occupy your mind in some games or books if you find yourself overthinking and stressing out over trivial matters. Yes, even lying down and staring at the ceiling will do if that’s what helps you.
Conclusion
These are just a few simple ways we have told you. You know yourself better and can think of many more to combat your stress. Stress won’t help you move ahead, it is something that grabs your legs as you sink lower. Keep your mind occupied with something else and keep the issue at hand at the back of your mind, inspiration might just strike you when you decide to not let the stressing issue control yourself. Summertime should be fun, whether you are an adult or a child. Don’t let all the things in your life get you down. Stress will try to pile up and crush you under it, but make the time to have some fun and relax, don’t let it get to you.
References for topic:
www.psychologytoday.com
www.webmd.com
www.stykecaster.com
