Tips to beat STRESS

As I said in my previous article stress can be beaten. But what if we are just sad and not really stressed? It could be personal; it could be due to family pressure or that we just had a fight with someone we are close to. These small incidents are not enough to pull us down into a depression but are enough to make us sad, mad, or upset. But by my experience, I can say that instead of wallowing in guilt, sadness, or fear of losing, it is better to channel the negative energy or bring some positivity to our minds. So, here are 10 things you can do when you feel sad or down for any reason at any time.

1. Get some work done: I know you don’t even want to get out of your bed. But just by chance if you get up and go to the toilet and then turn towards the kitchen and start cleaning it out ….. Remove one item from the kitchen slab and then another ……… In no time you will find the kitchen clean and your mind fresh. Or just use a little bit of willpower and go to the garage and clean the car. Or go out and get some groceries. Anything that can take your mind away from the sadness. You can be assured that after finishing the task you will feel a lot better and, in the process, would have completed something that would have felt like a chore otherwise.
2. Take a shower or at least splash some water on your face: If it’s possible the water should be just room temperature, straight out of the tap. Fresh water activates the brain cells like nothing else. It jolts our minds out of the episode that was making us have negative emotions. And that is what we all want, don’t we?
3. Go for a walk or hit the gym: If you are a fitness enthusiast, you can utilize the negative energy being generated in your mind to get some workout done. Especially if you are angry, workouts are done in a trance. By the time you are out of the gym, the anger would have subsided a lot. Even if you are not a fitness freak, a good old walk around the block never hurt anyone. If nothing else, it gives you time to think and at the same time gives some much-needed stretch to your muscles. Anyway, better than the tub of ice cream you were about to it, isn’t it?
4. Re-read a book: Notice that I didn’t say read, I said re-read. Because a new book requires attention and understanding it might be a little bit difficult with your mind being distracted and all. So just pick up your favorite and start reading and in no time, you will get lost in the world of fantasy. Even comics are a great distraction. They don’t interfere with the brain process and have a dual effect of seeing and visualizing the dialogues.
5. Watch cute animal baby videos: Or any baby videos actually. Babies of any species are cuteness overloaded and will definitely make you smile. Switch on any video app and search for cute baby videos or cute animal videos and you will find a lot of them. The warmth that you feel after watching them is the warmth of love forming once again in your heart. That they make you smile, or even laugh, is a bonus.
6. Give a hug to someone you like: Hugs are a great source of positivity. Hug a good friend, a great colleague, and even your pet. It will give you the feeling of touch, the feeling of being loved and important. And this leads to feeling good and forgetting the feeling of negative emotions clouding your mind till then.
7. Listen to upbeat songs: Misery loves company. So before putting on the sad song, think about whether its misery is inviting more misery or happiness. Listening to upbeat songs, songs that make you dance, that are motivating will keep you positive. Some of the songs are so good that they make us want to dance and dancing will get you out of negativity faster than you can say GO!! Language doesn’t matter. Because who cares for the lyrics when you can groove on the music.
8. Sleep it away: Yes, I remember saying that get yourself out of the bed and get some work done. But that doesn’t mean you should keep working, or working out 24 X 7. Sleep is an important factor in keeping you healthy. During sleep our body repairs itself, and so does our mind. Many times, we find solutions to the problems that are bugging us during our sleep. If you get enough and adequate sleep, you will wake up fresh and the feeling of sadness would have eased a lot.
9. Talk to an old friend: Old as in not age-wise. Old as in a friend with whom you have been out of touch for long. Just call on them or give them a call, doesn’t matter which. They will be happy, you will revive a long-lost relationship and when you talk to them you will get gossip regarding the time you haven’t talked to each other and that would immediately elevate your mood. Just remember that you are calling them or visiting them to talk about them and not vent yourself out. Because sometimes venting out is not the right solution. But if you trust them, then hell, why not!!!
10. Visit an old age home or a hospital: Visiting the less privileged and helping them even just by being there and listening to them makes you feel better. Because the mind starts seeing the world with a new vision. You understand that there are far more important things in the world than the small problems which we are facing. And small they would seem, when we see how people are surviving without their families, without any money, without health, and maybe even on the verge of death.

Even after doing all the above if your mood does not elevate then wait for a few days and then visit a counselor to determine whether you are just sad or need therapy for the incident you have experienced. Getting counseling doesn’t automatically mean you have a mental problem. It is just that sometimes seeing a professional helps you reach solutions that you could not have reached by yourself.