Dealing with Stress

Ahoy,

Welcome to my second post!

As you are most likely aware, Easter has recently passed, providing some workers and students with a much-needed break. However, this doesn’t always mean that on return to their hectic schedule that all will be sunshine and puppies. For some, the return is even more stressful, having to readjust to a strict routine.

Stress is something that affects everyone, and some more than others. I therefore wanted to share how I deal with it and give some tips that might even help you! Even if they can provide short-term relief, then that is better than nothing!

One of my biggest hobbies is singing. It has become such a natural thing for me now that I barely realise I’m doing it – a bit like a habit I suppose! This helps me with both stress and anxiety, which is something I struggle with more. I notice that I sing when I’m happy; I also whistle along to songs at work when situations are tense, and even belt out a few rock songs when I’m angry. Music helps many people through hard times, and singing for me is a great way to express myself.
Before my interviews, where I gained both my current and previous job, I sang along to music on the journey and I can safely say that it helped calm my nerves for at least the last few minutes before taking the first few steps from the car and into the building.

Exercise is also known to help with built up emotion, but I personally find that it’s the gentler forms that help me with general stress and anxiety. Yoga focuses on deep breathing and stretches that both strengthen your muscles and relax them, soothing aches and pains. I can honestly say that my usually over-thinking, busy mind is completely focused on trying to perfect the moves and breathing when practicing yoga, especially in the evening before bed. It leaves me feeling tranquil yet alert, and gives my brain a rest, if only for 30 minutes. The NHS itself even lists it as a good way to relieve tension.
All body sizes and abilities can take part and it is a nicely paced alternative that can be done at home for those that usually shy away from sports or exercise within groups.

“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

However, if you are a considerably active person, I would even recommend a more physical, fast paced exercise like boxing so that you can blow off some steam, focusing on something other than what was troubling you in the first place. Plus, the endorphins released during the training will give you a euphoric glow which is an added bonus!

In my experience, doing something that you are passionate about in stressful situations helps distract you from the cause. I don’t want to encourage always shying away from your problems, but a lot of stress and anxiety is down to low self-esteem and can be helped. For example, if you enjoy reading, carry a small book around with you. If things start to get to you just take a small break and get lost in a story. It will soon ease your mind if you let it.
After all, more mistakes are made when you make crass decisions due to pressure, so any small respite can make a huge difference.

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James

I hope some of the above relates to your own experiences if you are an individual that struggles with strong emotions. If you haven’t tried them, then feel free to give them a go – or even feel free to suggest other ideas if you have any unique ways to deal with everyday struggles!

Until next time,

Stay awesome!

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Many thanks to rushfitness.co.uk where I found the boxing image for my banner, and the awesome online editor PiZap where I do nearly all my editing!

Confidence in Dancing

Okay, I couldn’t wait a whole week to write another blog entry as it turns out, even though I wasn’t actually sure what I wanted to write about. It has occurred to me however that I would enjoy writing about how I got interested in certain aspects of life, and so now I have that thought in my head that’s what I’m going to do, beginning with dancing!

Now dancing hasn’t always been a passion of mine, in fact it is quite recent compared to many of my interests at only three years. I was simply too shy and self-conscious before to even consider the idea of becoming a dancer, however that’s where the positive side of peer pressure and a will to improve yourself can get the better of you (Not to mention a noticeable sense of admiration for how quickly people seem to learn on Strictly). For those who read my first blog entry, you’ll know I have interests in fitness, the outdoors and healthy eating, which don’t exactly automatically lend themselves as social interactions as I’m sure you can imagine, but I shall cover those another time, as now I’ll tell you about my first real dancing experience.

I’ll be honest I was a bit shaky with apprehension, I had no idea what to expect apart from a quick Google search for the meaning of the word Ceilidh, which as it turned out was a traditional Gaelic social gathering which usually included folk music and dance as part of the entertainment. It didn’t help my apprehension when I realised just how many people took part with numbers easily reaching towards 100 people. That all said, it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable nights out I had the pleasure of partaking in for a long time.

It took me another year or so to shed a lot of uncertainty I had around asking others for a dance, even when I had started Ballroom and Latin dancing, especially when going up to ask meant asking people huddled in groups of friends. Eventually however, I had one of those moments where you realise that everyone else is there to do the same as you, and they are expecting to be asked!

“Well done for finally understanding the blatantly obvious Alister!” Would’t be too far off the phrase that went through my head at that particular moment. Funnily enough, there was one wonderful lass I spent over a year trying to drag up the courage to ask to dance, the reason being was because, while ceilidh dancing is very forgiving and accessible to just about anybody (heck, even seen someone in a wheel chair do it), this lass was so good at it I simply didn’t feel worthy of asking. After I finally asked and we’d developed a strong friendship, she told me one day that (lightly paraphrased) “It took you bloody long enough to ask!”

She was right of course. She’d noticed me looking early on as it turned out, not that I’d have ever guessed if she hadn’t told me, but it did put the final touches on what was already a stark and real reality I had come to realise about myself that I wanted to engage with people more confidently, and not be held back by shyness again. So between asking people I usually didn’t know to dance at Ceilidh, and realising I could make a reasonable job of Ballroom and Latin as well I’ve found a confidence in myself that I scarcely knew I had, and knowing I had it allowed it to spill into other areas of my life, so thank you to those of you who encouraged me to go to my first ceilidh, be they my parents, co-workers or friends, that day undoubtedly changed my life and I’ve made good friends because of it, thanks again!

Knowing I had that confidence has essentially allowed me to own it, and on that line I think I will wrap this up.

I’ve been writing this for about an hour and a half now and honestly, it turned out differently to how I was expecting. I figured this would be a fairly factual account of my experience of how I began dancing. In truth, writing this has been a small recount of a journey that found my confidence, and while I don’t know if I could become more confident, I have dancing to thank for starting me on a journey that lets me find out.

A final word, I hope anyone reading this never feels shackled by a lack of confidence. If you do, know that it doesn’t have to be that way, and in fact you could try something new too, and hopefully if you tell yourself you can do it, you’ll find the confidence to keep it up like I did.

Credit to an unknown user on picgifs.com for the image used for this entry.