Spring Break

Hey all! Hope everyone's staying as stress free as possible! Just wanted to check in and let you guys know Ill be on spring break this week so I won't be posting! Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of spring and has a great easter

Study Up!

Sorry my post have been so short lately! I've been crazy busy and unfortunately my post will probably continue to be short cause i'm getting even busier in the next few weeks!! I hope they still help though:) Anyway this week I thought I just share this helpful link about study skills. Mid terms are coming up and we ALL  know how stressful those can be, so I thought maybe some new study skills might take the edge off. Hope it helps!!

Off to Fish

Lately, I've been so busy I haven't taken much time for myself. But this weekend, on Saturday, when I had nothing going on, I took the opportunity to go fishing with my boyfriend. At first I was skeptical thinking that I was gonna sit for hours in boredom , but I have to stay that it was actually quite relaxing; hearing the sound of water, connecting with nature, feeling the sun on my face, it was all just so peaceful. So tho week, I thought I just encourage everyone to go out and enjoy nature. Its such a great de-stressor and if you're like me, it often gets over looked.

The Big C

College.

So, like many other seniors out there, I'm currently going through the college admission process and let me just say it is defiantly more stressful then I imagined it would be. The  anticipation of finding out where you got in, the excitement of getting in, or disappointment of getting rejected, but most of all, just the unknownness of it all, the empty slate that is your future, is so daunting and so stressful! So for all you out there going through the same thing, I wish you the best of luck and remember that no matter what happens it's all for the best. Take baths, light candles, wear fuzzy socks, do whatever it takes to stress less during this time and remember it is ending soon enough!

Spa Day

What's more relaxing than a day at the spa?  I can't think of much. But unfortunately not all of us have the time or the money for a spa day, so this week I thought I'd share these great, natural DIY spa treatments. So next time you're stressing out, take a break, relax, and treat yourself with these yummy recipes.
Check them out here!
Emjoy :)

Body Confidence

Sometimes one of the most stressful things in life can be a simple 10 pounds. As a girl especially, I've always felt very self conscious of my body and always feel that there's something I need to change. Often it's my weight. The terrifying number on the scale and the size of the clothes I buy are ALWAYS in the back of my mind, especially when I'm around my friends.  It's difficult when you go prom dress shopping with friends and they are all searching in the small sections and you're over in the larges. All it does is put me down, and makes me stress about my weight. But instead of constantly stressing over my body or doing something rash, like a crash diet, I've decide to make a vow for body confidence. I think this is something all girls need to do, because if you're not happy with yourself, how do expect to be happy? And further more, its stupid that anyone should feel unhappy over a thing like weight. Everyone, EVERYONE, is beautiful no matter their weight. And even though its hard, I think its important that everyone remembers that. So this week, I thought I'd share the steps I've taken to be more body confident in hopes that others may follow suit :)
First, I went ahead, and as an avid Seventeen reader, signed the Body Peace Pledge.
Second, I vowed to stop "fat talk" whether about me or my friends. And instead focus on the things I love about myself.
Third, if I get down about my body, I vow to treat it right and not "punish" for not looking the way I want it too. I'll feed it healthily food and workout.
And that's it!

The EXAM CRAM

I found this guy this weekend, and as a student couldn't help but not want to share it. So Enjoy :)

And remember NOT to stress over exams.

BREAD

Bread is great. You can toast it, make it a sandwhich, or even dip it. Plus who doesn't love a carb? But  bread is great in another way too, bread can also be an acronym to help combat stress. I've posted ta picture to help exaplain it, so check it out and stay stress free:)

Keeping a Clear Mind

It's harder then it sounds. When something's bothering you, it's hard to keep yourself from not constantly thinking about and agonizing over the issue. This happened to me this week. My boyfriend and I got into a huge fight and for the past three days all I've wanted to do is analyze the problem nine ways till sunday. "Why did he do that?  What should I do, try to make it work or break up?" And so forth until my mind was about ready to explode. So, as a way to cope myself and to help the others of your out there, I decided to do some research on how to keep a clear mind. Here's what I found: (Check out the full site for even more ideas)
1. Massage your earlobes. Doing so moves the tentorium membrane which helps relieve stress
2.If you're like me and can't say no, try this great advice I found. Don't say no, say I'll do it later and don't give a time frame. Then hours, days or even months later, ask if the person if they still need help. Chances are they won't and they'll remember your response in the further and be less likely to ask you for help again.
3. Tell yourself how you want to feel. "I am relaxed, I am worth it."
4. Accept that somethings can't be changed. Imagined what life would be like if the issue didn't happen, and just continue about as so.
5. Make a list of your problems and a plan of action for each.
6.  Look for the shades of gray in the situation. Life isn't black and white. People make mistakes. Learn to accept that and see an issue from all sides.
7. Day dream. Think of something positive that makes you happy and focus on it.
8. Work it out and listen to some empowering tunes.
9. Make yourself laugh. If you're like me and stressing over an argument, imagine the other person in their underwear while you re-envision the fight.
10. Draw with color. The color will brighten your mood and help express your emotions.
Mostly, don't just sit there. Do something, go out, do homework, talk to someone you trust, count the spackle marks on the ceiling, whatever it takes to take your mind off things.
So for all of you out there fighting with a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a parent, co-worker, or just wanting to avoid another one of life's stressful issues, this is for you. Hang in there and stay stress-free :)

The Dreaded AA

We've all been there. You're surrounded by  so much stress that the next thing you know you've got a knot in your stomach, a pounding heart, and worst of all, you can't seem to calm yourself down; you're having an anxiety attack. The pain of anxiety attacks are the worst. You feel helpless and lost, and no one needs to feel that way. So this week I found this amazing blog post (click here!) about how to cope with anxiety attacks. Instead of summing up the post like I normally do, you really should check it out and give this girl some credit. I thought that the post was extremely helpful and well done.  So hope it helps and stay stress free :)

Healthy Stress: Can It Really Exist?

As a blog about stress, I feel like I constantly focus on the harm of stress. But just as stress can be harmful, it can be healthy too! Now I'm not talking about the loads of stress you feel over family or finances, but the little stress we feel that gets us motivated. As long as the stress isn't chronic and doesn't linger then it could actually be helping you. Recent research from Stanford's School of Medicine reveal that short bursts of stress can actually improve your immune system and help prevent tumor growth later in life. Research also shows that, at a certain level, stress not only motivates us to accomplish certain tasks, but helps one perform at optimal alertness and performance. Interesting that something so harmful can actually be helpful in small doses. Something to think about at the least :)

Grief and Stress

At some point in life, probably even a few times, everyone must face something that causes them grief. Recently, I've been dealing with the grief of a loved one passing and it has been one of the hardest and most stressful things I have yet to face. Not only have I felt pain and emotional stress from just dealing with thee loss of my loved one, but I've also felt stress because of how I'm grieving. I know its normal for everyone to grief differently, but at times it feels as though I've barely grieved at a lot l. I feel like I'm more in denial then anything else, which makes it even harder because then I get stressed thinking about how I need to make myself grieve. I see my other family members crying or lashing out, but I have yet to experience either. I know it takes time and I'll make it through, but I just wanted to write this post as a reminder to myself and anyone else out there dealing with this issue that grieving takes time and truly is different for everyone.

Laughter's the Best Medicine

Sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine, so this week I thought I'd share a funny post, The 25 Most Ridiculous Stress Relief Products. The article shares everything from Adult Milk, endless bubble wrap, a hand pillow and a robot chicken. Its a great source for some stress-free giggles, so check it out! See you in the New Year!

The Christmas Season of Stress

Schools off, the weathers cold, and trees are up. It's almost Christmas!
If you're like me, Christmas is your favorite holiday; the yummy treats, the family, the lights, the presents, what's not to like? But as great as Christmas is, like any holiday, it can be extremely stressful. But not to worry, cause luckily there are lots of things you can do to limit stress. You can sit by a fire and drink egg nog, or you can bake cookies and roll out all your tension. However, one area that never ceases to stress people out during the holidays are gifts. People stress about finding the perfect gifts, how much to spend, if they can find it in time, and so forth. So for my post for Christmas, I wanted to address this issue.  Starting with price: People always stress about how much to spend, but from personal experience I can tell you price doesn't matter. One of my favorite gifts I've ever received were hand made letters from my best friend. She probably made them for under 10 dollars, but they still hang on my wall today. How much you spend doesn't matter, its just the thought that you were on someone's mind during this season that counts.  Second, don't worry about finding the perfect gift. Yes, we'd all love to find that one magical gift that someone absolutely adores. But, most be are just as happy to receive a gift card or something else that they know they will actually use. And lastly, if you're on a time crunch for finding a gift, I like to suggest to easy and fail prove methods: Go DIY or a theme. With little time left, home made cookies are always a great gift. They're easy, cheap, and fast, but also meaningful. For a more craftier person, checkout Pinterest for some great ideas. You can do DIY letters, hand soap, PJ pants, all sorts of cute things that are super quick to make at the last minute. If your not so crafty, but your still on a time crunch, go for a theme. If someone likes makeup, do a cute makeup gift basket, throw in some gloss, polish, blush, and your done. If they like a good spa day, get them a mask, some bath salts, a good book, and a candle. For the handy man, a basket of tools. For the sweet tooth, a basket of candy. The options are endless and best of all its quick and easy.
Hope everyone has a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
                             

Finals

As the first semester of the year wraps up, and christmas break approach, I, like many other students, have been preparing for finals.  Finals are every students nightmare. Just a series of tests after test after test and endless hours of studying. Even worse, these test can constitute anywhere from 10, 30, or even 50 percent of your grade. Talk about nerve racking. While the only preparation one really can do for finals is study, getting enough sleep, eating right, and taking breaks can help too. It's hard not to stress and freak out over them, but just remember, there only one week and you can make it through it. Wishing everyone luck! And lots of studying!

OVERWHELMED

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just always seems to fly by to me! There's school, finals, work, gift shopping, trip planning, and parties to attend, and little time left for anything else. With a schedule like that its hard not to feel overwhelmed, so this week I thought I'd share some of the tips I found here to help with that feeling overwhelming-ness.
Tip 1: Set realistic goals. As much as you try, you probably couldn't be able to finish your english research paper and attend your aunt's Christmas party all in one day.  So understand it's okay to say no; though you will be missed, your aunt should understand.
Tip 2: Organize and Prioritize tasks. Sounds simple and it is, but sometimes just writing down what you need to do and ordering them in order of importance can help you visualize and achieve what you need to do.
Tip 3: Delegate. Don't  be afraid to ask friends or family for help.

For the rest, check the link, but those were my top ones :) Hope it helps, and stay stress-free!

Turkey Day

Holidays are great. Time off from work, fattening food, no alarms, whats not to like? But as relaxing as holidays can be, being home and around family can also be overwhelming. Scrambling to try and finish dishes, the shouting over the game, the bickering between siblings, and the overall jumble of family can defiantly take away from your "relaxing" break.
But in order to stay stress-free during the holidays, all you need to do it is PLAN AHEAD.
1. Plan to have breaks. Run to the store to get something, set aside time to finish some work, whatever gets you out of the commotion for a little bit.
2. Plan to have relatives do some tasks. If you know your Aunt Sue and Uncle Joe don't get along, assign Aunt Sue to work on stuffing while Joe watches the game. Or send Joe to the store, while Sue chats with Aunt Cathy. Problem solved.
3. Invite so friends. People who aren't family and can buffer between relatives while also giving you someone to break and laugh with.
4. Keep your phone charged. Worst comes to worst, get lost in your phone. Sit and play candy crush or call a friend. Distract yourself.

But most of all, just enjoy yourself. Holidays only come once a year! Happy Gobble Day!

"Seven Ways to De-stress in a Minute or Less"

This week's post is taken form Huffington's Post Seven Ways to De-stress in a Minute or Less. I just loved the idea and was eager to share it here. So be sure to check out their site!
1. Take a deep, relaxing breathe
2. Let it out (Scream in a pillow :) )
3. Visualize a calming place
4. Listen to your favorite music
5. Peel an Orange
6. Pet your puppy
7. Clean your desk
Short and sweet, but none the less helpful!

Apps That Can Help You De-Stress!

While technology can be a source of stress, with its constant twitter fights or depressing tumblr posts, it can also be a source of relieve. And what better way to de-stress your self then in the mist of everything? With apps it's easy, you can just pop out your phone and BOOM instant stress relieve! But trying to find the best apps and can tedious, so I thought I'd share some good (and FREE) ones:

1. The Worry App
When your feeling anxious, this app is great. Just type your problem into the box, and it will either offer ways to cope or potential ways to deal with your source of stress.


2. Healing Music Radio
Kinda self-explanatory, but none the less a great one.



3. Buddha Board
An app that just lets you draw, doodle or scribble, its a great way to distract yourself for a few minutes without any stress.

4. Calm
An app that guides you through some quick relaxation techniques.


5.  Relaxing Sounds of Nature Lite
An app that plays relaxing sounds of nature, it can help you escape the distracting sounds around you and let you escape. While maybe not as good as the real thing, it is defiantly better then the annoying sounds of chatter or busy streets.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope everyone is having a great halloween! 

Ill be out of town this weekend, but I just wanted to wish everyone a great weekend! Enjoy some candy, watch some scary movies, relax, whatever makes you happy :)

Also, just as a side note: Recently I've been working on a research project that I'm VERY passionate about. However, i'm looking for applicants between the ages of 8-18 to participate. Its all online and its very easy. So if you, or anyone you know could take it, it would be very helpful and very much appreciated. Thank you!