How are you feeling right now? Have you been sleeping well? Are you becoming more forgetful? Procrastinating a lot more too? We get it, just thinking about work or studies is giving you a sense of dread. And even things you would enjoy otherwise seem to have no charm anymore. It sounds like you might be experiencing stress – it can be hard to be a hotshot student or young professional in a city as busy as Bangalore. But if things don’t seem to be getting better, let’s try some things to help you control your stress, before it starts controlling you. A quick disclaimer though – this article isn’t meant as an advice column. You should still consult a doctor for any stress-induced issues. But we hope these tips will help you better manage your lifestyle.
1. Take a Break
This one’s fairly obvious. But it warrants repeating. You may love your job or university course but if you haven’t taken a break in a while, you can hardly muster the enthusiasm to continue. Caught yourself procrastinating on your never-ending deadlines as you work out of a boys hostels in Bangalore? Well staring at the screen isn’t going to help. But a break might. And sure, we get that a college allowance or beginner’s salary may not allow you to take a full-blown vacation, but why not take the weekend off to have a netflix party? Maybe play the guitar? Take your dog to the park? No matter how important your course or job is to you, it can’t be more important than your health. So do yourself a favour. Relax.
2. Keep Eating (But Hide the Snacks)
There are two kinds of people. Those who stress-eat and those who stress-starve. And let’s be honest, neither type is better than the other. Here’s the thing: if you stop eating, you won’t be getting the fuel your body (including your brain) needs to function, which will make your exhaustion just that much worse. On the flip side, if you start over-eating, you’ll start to pack on the pounds (it happens quicker than you might think!), and that might add to your feelings of sluggishness and depression. So even if you’re not feeling it, try to keep your meals “normal.” A quick tip we can suggest is to set timers for meal times and work with small but regular portion sizes so you can stay on track.
3. Sleep (Duh!)
So you’ve had a long day at university or work, and now you’re making the journey back to your hostel in Bangalore. As you’re stuck in traffic, you’re thinking about what is the one thing your body craves most after a hard day? Sleep, right? So give your body what it needs! Generally speaking, the more burned out you feel, the more sleep you’re probably going to require. And, I know, it might be hard to get into the habit of sleeping again (especially if you’ve given it up in favor of “more important” things), but you’re going to have to force yourself. For the sake of your body and your mood.
4. Get Sweating
Look, we get it. Exercise seems like a chore to us too (and sometimes it is), but it’s also worth it. And it doesn’t have to be as horrible as it sounds. Simply moving around more can count as “exercise.” Do you usually sit in your chair for hours on end and eat lunch at your desk? Try getting up from your office area and walking around a bit, and maybe having your lunch outside. See? You’re already moving around more than you were. That’s exercise. And once you start making even the tiniest effort to get fit, you’ll notice yourself doing more. If you stick with things you enjoy (walking around, bicycling, playing with your cat), your body will start to crave that feel-good state and want more of it.
5. Set Goals
No one wants to run a race without a finish line. That’s why we are huge fans of setting goals. They’ll keep you organised (so you won’t create extra work for yourself), give you a clear idea of what needs to be done, and most importantly, act as light at the end of the tunnel. There’s nothing more stressful than a seemingly endless ocean of work. Having a goal in mind puts an end to that kind of thinking. Also, if you have a goal, you’re less likely to procrastinate or pile up your work for later (creating more stress in the long run). So set goals and help yourself do what needs to be done, one step at a time.
6. Find the source
Let’s be real, there’s no magic cure for stress – but we can definitely make efforts to reduce it. The first step that we should take is to find the ‘source’ of stress and try fixing it. It might be uncomfortable (or even embarrassing) to think about, but the time has come to start asking yourself the tough questions. And if you’re at a total loss to what’s been causing you stress, try making a list of your day-to-day activities. Next to each one, write down how you feel about it (“tense,” “fine,” “bored,” “anxious,” etc.). Then try to come up with solutions for the activities that don’t make you feel great. Now that’s what we call self-help.
Those are our tips to help you manage stress. But once you’ve gotten this bout of stress under control, you’ll probably go back to the same cycle. So we’re here to remind you that this is a great time to re-evaluate what could make your life easier. Perhaps you need to take on less work. Or make more time for sleep. Or perhaps you’re not living your best life. Maybe what you need is an environment that puts you at the centre, provides you the comfort that you need along with opportunities to grow and learn with others. That’s why we recommend upgrading your accommodation (and quality of life) by choosing a professionally managed housing solution like Stanza Living. They want to give you the best and most stress-free life by managing everything for you: fully-furnished rooms, extensive amenities, vibrant community culture etc. So no matter how difficult your college or work occasionally is, you always have somewhere comfortable to come home to. So take a step, after all, stress sucks and your health and happiness should always come first.
