Top tips for keeping calm

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Keeping calm can be a challenge when time is tight and someone then cuts you up in traffic, closes a door on you or doesn’t deliver their report by an already extended deadline. Anger is a normal, even healthy emotion, but only if you deal with it in a positive way. We have some simple tips that could help you, help yourself.

Think before you speak
In the heat of the moment, it’s really easy to say something you will regret later, so take a moment or two to collect your thoughts before saying anything. Hopefully others will do the same, and the situation won’t escalate into a disaster.

Talk when you are calm
Once you have time to think about things, and your anger has subsided, it is easier to be assertive, and not confrontational. Talk over your concerns without hurting others or controlling them, and life will be easier and calmer and you will stay calm.

Take some timeout
We often think that timeout is just for children, but it is helpful for grown-ups too. Having short breaks during the day offers you a little bit of quiet and can stop you getting angry and irritated. Have a cuppa, walk in the garden, sit and meditate, or just listen to some music and you can catch up with yourself – prevention is better than cure when it comes to heightened emotions.

Exercise = calm
Taking time out to exercise is a brilliant way to look after yourself, and to keep calm. A brisk walk or run, a swim, game of netball or even an afternoon spent gardening, can get your heart rate going and those feel good endorphins will make you feel happy and calm rather than cross and bothered.

Look for solutions
It might seem easier to focus on what depletes your calm reserves, but a better use of your time would be looking to resolving the issues bothering you. Does your son’s mess drive you crazy? Then walk away and close the door, he can clean it up. Is your bestie always late when you meet up? Then take a book and catch up with some reading and make the most of the quiet. Anger doesn’t fix anything, but it can make you feel worse, so curb it and will be calmer and happier.

Don’t bear a grudge
You might not want to forgive and forget, but bitterness can make you feel even worse. Why not be the better person and reach out an olive branch and that way you might learn from the situation and grow calmer and stronger, rather than being angrier than ever.

Have a laugh
If you can to see the lighter side of what is going on, if you search harder enough even that mouldy sandwich on a plate left by your partner under the sofa, might seem funny…….might!

Try to relax
As well as taking some exercise, you can work on your anger by relaxing a little bit more than usual. Meditation, long baths, listening to calming music, writing a journal, doing some yoga or watching a funny movie could help take your mind of your worries and help you to relax.

Seek help if you need to
While anger is a normal emotion, if you are finding it hard to keep things in check and your calm has disappeared, speak to your GP and look at what help is out there so that you and others are safe and well.

Team Pure Beauty

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Give up stress for Lent

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We know that during Lent you are meant to give up chocolate, wine or something you really love but given how bad stress is for us, why not try to live without it for a few weeks and see how you get on?

It is little surprise that more and more people are dealing with anxiety and stress related issues given the pressure of modern-day living. Celebrity culture, an obsession with selfies and social media on tap 24/7, life is one long hamster wheel and sometimes you need to jump off and see what really matters.

Rather than light up another cigarette or down one more vodka and orange, why not have a look at some alternative ways to deal with stress and see if you can combat it for once and for all.

Move
Exercise isn’t a magic wand that will make your stress disappear, but it can help reduce the intense emotions you might be feeling. A run, brisk walk or bike ride can help you clear your thoughts and find a way to deal with problems in a different, maybe more rational way.

Find a friend
Yes, there are people at work, people on Facebook and mums at the school gates, but us can still feel lonely and this is where real friends, you can trust, come into play. It won’t happen overnight, but try to create a support network of people, you enjoy being with and you will find that as much as they will help you find solutions to problems, you can do the same for them and that’s a pretty good feeling.

Me time
We are often made to feel as if taking time for ourselves is lazy and indulgent but this couldn’t be further from the truth. To be able to fire on all cylinders, it is important to take time out for socialising, relaxing and exercise, time that is just for you. A couple of hours a week doing something you really love, either alone or with friends, can really help you shrug off that dark cloud that has been following you around.

Get a pet
Never underestimate the love of a dog, cat or even hamster. A pet not only gives you a new interest but also a little bit of company, a lot of love and if you do get a dog, you have to take them outside for a walk each day which is good for both of you.

Be a volunteer
It is easy to get caught up in our own problems, so helping others can be a good way to put things into perspective. Visiting an elderly person, donating time at a local hospice or sorting out donations at a food bank are all ways you can give back and you never know, you could make friends and even find a new career in the process.

Go outside
Sitting indoors watching TV, working at a computer screen and drinking in the pub are all pretty sedentary activities where you rarely see the light of day and probably all make you feel worse. A walk, even when it is cold and damp, by the river or a dash around town will not only give you a change of scene but also put fresh air in your lungs and give you a break from the norm. Joining a tennis club, training for a fun run or just getting off the bus a stop early, can be enough to get you, and your mind, out of a stressed rut.

Of course, if you are really struggling talk to a trusted friend or your GP but don’t suffer in silence.

Team Pure Beauty

Free your mind

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Stressed?

Over worked and under paid?

Tired?

Anxious?

Far from being words that are banded around for the sake of it, for many of us this is the reality of 21st century living.

We are expected to be on the ball, on trend and down with the kids 24/7 and sometimes, things can get a bit too much.

We have put together some easy ideas of how to free your mind so you can relax and chill out once in a while rather than constantly having your brain in free fall mode.

Breath
Before you do anything else, sit back, count to ten and breath. Focus on your breathing, feel the air go into your body and out and just stop for a few minutes and regroup.

Talk
After breathing, comes talking. If you bottle everything up, then it is only going to get worse and seem harder and harder to deal with. Open up to your partner, mum or a close friend and they may have ideas about how you can make changes and find a positive way forwards.

Live in the moment
Whatever is making you anxious right now, isn’t going to last. Breakdown what is bothering you into manageable chunks and tackle it one step at a time. For example, if you are moving house you might feel overwhelmed, but step back, make a list, work out what needs to be done and if you can, delegate.

Not this again
If you are worried about an interview, think back and see if was the same the last time you went for a new job? If it was, and you got the job, what are you worried about? You aced it last time and we bet it will be the same the time round too.

It’s not all about you!
Harsh we know, but not everything that happens in this world is about you. Yes we can all feel put upon or have our sensitive days, but thinking every situation revolves around you in some way can be really destructive and you could be missing out on a lot of fun.

Look at the bigger picture
Ask yourself whether the issue that is on your mind right now will still be there tomorrow, in a week or in a month. It is unlikely it will be, so regroup, relax and look at what is going on in the world and see there is more to life than a difficult boss or messy flatmate.

Preparing for the worst
I will lose my job. He is going to dump me. She doesn’t want to be my best friend anymore. We tend to jump to conclusions and dwell on the worst-case scenarios and this can lead to stress and depression. It is far better to talk to the person involved face to face and find out what is really going on before you make yourself ill believing the world is about to end.

Take some exercise
Social media, long hours and desk based jobs mean many of us get less exercise than ever. Try to get some fresh air every day and even if you have a brisk walk or a quick swim, your heart beat will go up and the endorphins will pump good vibes around your body.

Laugh
If nothing else, remember to laugh. Life is short so make the most of it and enjoy every single day you have.

Team Pure Beauty