This life is unpredictable, and the current pandemic has made it clearer than ever to all of us. But the good news is, we are stronger and are ready to take this challenge head-on. We all try to be positive and joyous all the time but we all are humans and there are ups and downs in our lives because not all days are the same. But believe it or not, we all tend to forget those small activities and gestures that can prove helpful, while we are stressed over many big things in life.
Stress can come to us in different ways. Sometimes, big health or finance-related issues are bound to disturb us and we cannot avoid that stress. But a lot of times the sources of our stress can be really silly!
In this blog, I am giving you very simple tips on feeling better instantly if you have no clue as to why you are feeling low (maybe that silly monster is terrorizing your inner peace) and everybody is clueless about your sudden long face. These tips are coming your way because I have dealt with a lot of friends and colleagues who felt much better after this free advice, hence some tried and well- tested tips coming your way:
• Give that little partner in crime, a break: You got it right! You need to give yourself a break from constantly checking your phone and try to keep it away from you as the rays are harmful and keep affecting your overall mental health.
• Social network distancing should be followed too: Well, this distancing will not affect the virus but it does have an impact on your mood, psyche, behaviour, and overall well-being. Do you know according to a recent update smartphone user check Facebook, 14 times a day on an average? Then we have so many other platforms where we have to be active because others are too! Some people take their entire grudge on social media while others become victims of their constant sarcasm. We need to remember, ‘all that glitters is not gold’. The happiest holiday album on social media also often has the ugliest fights behind it while packing and unpacking, or even during deciding the destination, lol. The beautiful, oh most amazing faces that are making you think ‘Why the hell do I exist?’, are seeing the toughest lives you would ever imagine, or to make it even worse for you, they have used the best filters available or they may be just pretty and you are too! Remember we all are our own kind of beautiful.
• It’s OK to let go of a few messages on WhatsApp groups: ‘Mute’ to your rescue! Mute the groups you don’t have to follow regularly and you can check them once in two days or even better, once in a week. According to businessofapps.com, India is the biggest WhatsApp market in the world, with 200 million users (it’s estimated in some quarters that this has increased to 300 million). While the app comes with its unique advantages, the effect on our mental health could be shocking, coming from social pressures. Many of us feel the urge to react to each message of these groups but do you know it leads to constant anxiety to be following, replying, and awaiting responses on your comments? Give it a thought, take a deep breath, and find which groups are most important for you and which ones you can say ‘byeeee’.
• Hobbies help: You may have just one or quite a few like me. Take out time to do what you love to do and trust me you will get absorbed and come out fresh and positive. Set your goals to do a better job next time and you have something you love doing, waiting to be done.
• Look at your old pictures: Take a trip down memory lane. The fun pictures of your friends, family, or kids will take you back to those fun moments, you will feel grateful, and it will bring an instant smile to your face.
• Take a walk: Brisk walking boosts the production of stress-busting endorphins thereby reducing our stress and depression. Enjoy a stroll if you cannot brisk walk but the movement of body helps.
• Enjoy some stress-busting foods: You have a reason to have a big bite of that dark chocolate. Yes! chocolates do affect your mood along with superfoods like eggs, flaxseeds, green leafy vegetables, and even yogurt. There are more foods to the list and we can talk about them later.
• Laughter is the best medicine: Try watching your favourite comedy shows or share a joke with your friends or family. Pick up the phone and call a friend who cracks you up.
These are just tried and tested personal suggestions and I hope they help you as well while you deal with so much in a day. Don’t forget to smile as that enhances your beauty.
~ Divita Tyagi
