April is Stress Awareness Month, and today we’re going to focus on ways to de-stress.

Stress comes in many different forms, but it is generally a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It’s our body’s reaction to certain challenges or demands.

Some of us might experience emotional signs of stress, such as constantly worrying or feeling forgetful. Others may experience physical signs of stress, such as muscle tension or headaches. 

Here's our top four tips! 

Sleep

Being stressed can affect your sleep. When you’re tired, you become more impatient and easily agitated, which can increase your stress further. Scientists say that we need 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and that magic number can help to reduce the effects of stress.

Are you struggling with sleep?

Try setting your bedtime and wake-up time according to the number of hours of sleep you are currently getting, then gradually increase it every couple of nights. This will squeeze out the middle of the night-time awakening and gradually increase the amount of sleep you get during the night.

You should also factor in winding downtime in the evening. Give yourself a buffer zone an hour or two before bed to allow your brain to wind down and let sleep gradually take over.

Read

We read things every day, but reading for pleasure can help to reduce stress. Opening a good book can help you to escape the stresses of everyday life. Reading relaxes your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles.

With that being said, for most of us, the hardest part about reading is actually picking up the book and finding the time to focus on being drawn into a story. In this case, you could try an audiobook instead. 

Good Distractions

Well, we have all heard distractions are bad for us as they divert our attention away and sometimes that's just what we need. Think about it. If there's something on your mind worrying you and it's all you can seem to focus on, you need a break from that.

Here's a list of good distractions:

• meet up or speak to your friends. For most people, being surrounded by friends is a fun and safe space.
• cooking
• catch up on an interesting programme. You'd be surprised how quickly time goes by when you're enthralled in a series or movie.
• play games with family/friends at home. monopoly, blackjack, ludo. 
• walk around your area and find the shortcuts
• visit another city. If you're based in London, visit Bristol or the city of your choice. Make a day of it!

Speak to someone

If you're working, ask HR about the services available for stress relief. If you're in school or college, ask your tutors to refer you to the appropriate person who can support you through whatever you're going through. Talking helps and besides, a problem shared is a problem halved. Even if it's just the act of getting whatever is bothering you off your chest, this could be massive help.