Hey guys!
I'm back! (Miss me? Haha)
I've had a pretty stressful couple of months but I've survived! At some times I wasn't sure if I would make it but here I am! I have never been so tired or stressed in my life so I'm hoping my results make it all worth it.
Hope you've enjoyed the recent posts by my amazing guest bloggers. I'm so grateful to them for allowing my blog to not have had such a long hiatus. If you haven't read their posts please do check them out and also give their blogs a visit. ( You can find their blog buttons on my sidebar).
I've actually enjoyed my break from blogging. It's given me some time to come back with new, fresh ideas and trust me I bought a lot over this period so be on the look out for hauls and reviews. I've also received a few products that I would love to share with you so watch this space.
In the meantime I thought it would be nice to do a lifestyle post as it has been a while. I thought it would be interesting to write on ways to keep sane during exams (and other stressful periods) especially for those who may still have exams, or for future exams or just for generally stressful times on how I deal with it.
I'll give my tips for exam/revision success and dealing with stress.
(I'd just like to add that I'm no expert, I'm just using my personal experience)
So as it stands, I'm still in education. Hopefully one more year of uni left! So most of my stress has come from education.
People have different ways of dealing with stress but the (good) ways I deal with stress include:
Planning/Good organisation
This is one of the major aspects. Having no plan can cause major panic and I've done that way too many times. I'm an organised person but when it gets to revision it seems to just fly out of the window. Using a diary/calendar is great whether paper or electronic. I'm useless with paper but the Any.do app is great and also using a whiteboard as you can't miss it when you get into your room.
Breathing
Sometimes taking in a few deep breathes helps to calm you down.
Getting some fresh air
I revise in the library which consists of staring at books and screens for ages often with no air circulation. When I begin to feel overwhelmed leaving my workspace and walking outside for about 5-10 minutes helps to clear my mind and I can come back and tackle my work with a fresh, clear head
Taking a break
Do something fun. Despite exams being all serious and all, we all need time out. This could include going to lunch or dinner or cinema with your friends.
Watching something funny
Laughter can make things so much better and take a weight of your shoulder even if it is just temporary. But you gotta use that self-control before you've spent 3 hours on YouTube watching countless suggested videos or before you know it you've finished 5 seasons of Parks and Recreation or any other great show (that hasn't happened to me of course...)
Exercising
I must admit this exam season I did none of the sort as it just wasn't feasible but normally when I do it definitely helps especially as I tend to stress eat (and it's not stress eating fruit and veg...). I find it so therapeutic and it helps to clear the mind, revive the body, release endorphins which help to make you feel happy and less stressed and also helps give you a good night's sleep which is essential for a well functioning brain.
Cleaning
This may seem an odd one but it's actually very therapeutic. Scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen was so useful after one of the terrible exams I had. I can just take out all my frustration out on the dirt and then have the satisfied feeling of a sparkling kitchen and bathroom.
Praying
You may not be religious, but I am a Christian and sometimes, just taking out a few minutes to just pray helps me especially when things are out of my hands (e.g. after I've done an exam that went particularly badly).
Hope you've enjoyed this post and found it useful and not too long and boring. If you have any other techniques do let me know as I'm always looking for ways to relieve stress. And if you're still having exams I wish you all the best!!!
