Stress to Strength

Tori-Ann Collier | December 6, 2021

A Zenerations Jamaica guide to living a life with less stress

Being in high school or college, having a job, and family problems are examples of some issues that our  generation may  face that might lead us to become “stressed.” 

Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. It has many adverse effects on our lives and sometimes may be disregarded by our parents or guardians as we are “too young”. The truth is, there is no age limit to stress, and as young individuals, our hectic schedules and number of responsibilities have greatly contributed to this; and it is extremely important to know the ways that could alleviate this. 

So here are a few ways that might work to help you lessen  STRESS 

1. Follow a Routine

 A routine provides a structured and organized way of living. When your daily routine is well structured, we can utilize our day in a better way. This routine can help us to complete assignments and labs, among other things, within a specific time. This leaves you with time to indulge in hobbies, sports, and getting some proper rest and you will automatically feel some weight being lifted off your shoulders.

2. Meditate

Meditation is an excellent method of cleansing (or silencing) your mind of all negative and stressful thoughts, it also helps to reduce anxiety, tension, and stress. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or tired, take a deep breath to relax for at least 20 minutes. When meditating, it is important to focus on your breathing and visualize something that puts you at peace. Going on youtube and finding meditational videos and audios could assist in this. 

3. Avoid distractions

To fully relax and live a less stress-filled life, remove all the distractions from around you. As teenagers and young adults, social media apps such as Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok may be some of our biggest distractions and it can probably be difficult getting a break from some of these apps and our devices to get time to focus on more important activities since the pandemic and majority of schools and businesses are fully remote. The best thing to do is to turn off your devices when doing specific tasks that don’t involve their use. During this time, it is important to stay focused and refrain from using them to avoid straying away from your task.

4. Avoid Procrastination 

Try not to leave your work for the next day. Complete your assignments or the things you have to do as soon as possible. Procrastination is very common among students, and one way to avoid this is by setting deadlines and holding yourself accountable. By avoiding procrastination, you will notice how less stressed or worrying your days will become; knowing you won’t have to ‘swat’ for a test or stay up extremely late completing an assignment.

• Setting Deadlines

Many people get stuck in the “I’ll do it tomorrow or eventually” cycle when in actuality, that day or ‘eventually’ never comes. It’s important to set a specific date for when you want a project or assignment to be completed. Aim to have your projects and assignments completed one or two days in advance. That way, if something unexpected happens, you still have extra time to complete them.

• Holding yourself accountable

      Holding yourself accountable for completing your assignments on time, studying for tests, preparing for an interview, and replying to emails is another tip to avoid procrastination. It may be easy, to find reasons not to do these and to take unnecessarily long breaks, but you need to catch yourself before this happens. Remember that you are responsible for the completion of things that you need to get done.

5. Surround yourself with people that make you happy 

Surrounding yourself with people that make you happy, is a key way in which you can lessen stress. Having individuals in your life who genuinely care about your happiness and who love seeing you smile is an instant stress relief. Knowing that there is someone out there who you can turn to when sad or feeling unmotivated, can be the needed boost in serotonin or inspiration. Avoid having people in your life who constantly drain your energy, either by being extremely pessimistic or  having personalities that clash, leaving you feeling down after contact with them. 

6. Affirmations!!

Positive affirmations are a great tool for reprogramming your subconscious mind from negative to positive thinking. The idea is to take positive statements of what you would like to see manifested in your life, and repeat them daily so that they become your new way of thinking and seeing the world. By changing your mindset and being less pessimistic, can greatly help diminish stress.

Your affirmations should be personal. It should be what you would like to achieve or be focused on the thoughts you would like to have. 

            Some examples of affirmations that may gradually help relieve your stress-filled life.

1. I believe in me
2. I deserve love, compassion and empathy 
3. I excel in everything I do
4. I can reach my goal

While not all positive affirmations are helpful (as the mind may fight against them), most of them can get you to a more elevated frame of mind. In addition, they can help build resilience and relieve stress which will allow more positivity into our lives

These are a few ways in which YOU can live a less stressful life and go from STRESS TO STRENGTH.