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

Sit back and relax

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The arrival of the Internet, email, and smart phones means we are living in 24/7 information age.

Given that we are constantly bombarded with perfect images and are expected to available all the time, it is little wonder that stress is on rise.

If you are feeling as if it is all too much, we have some tips that might just help calm things down.

Take some time out. Sounds obvious but when was the last time you did just that? If you are feeling overwhelmed you often start to panic, you become unproductive and things just get worse and worse. Leave the house, have a cup of tea, go for a run, just get away from it all and take stock.

We are all good at saying yes, but saying no is harder. Just because someone asks you out for lunch or to look after their children, doesn’t mean you have to say yes and you don’t have to feel guilty about saying no either. If you don’t have time, just say no.

We like to think we can multi-task, but it is often counter productive. You might be able to talk to a colleague whilst writing a business report but it is likely that you are not concentrating on either task 100% and mistakes will be made. If you focus on one thing at a time, you will soon start to feel calmer as jobs are done more effectively and faster.

Breath. Yes, we know we do it all the time but if you take time to really focus on your breathing you will feel more able to deal with life. Each hour, stop and take five deep breaths in and out (your tummy should come forward with each inhale). As you exhale, feel the stress leaving your body and focus on the moment.

Learn to be flexible. It doesn’t matter how carefully you plan and prepare, things can change at the last minute but it isn’t the end of the world. Rather than this causing upset, take a step back, regroup and find a way to deal with the new situation in a calm, happy way. We know you can do it.

Stop trying to be perfect. There are huge pressures to be amazing at everything, but this simply isn’t possible or realistic. Demanding perfection of yourself will only add to your stress levels, so lower expectations, do your best and you will feel happier.

This is an oldie, but a goodie – count to ten. If you feel it is all getting too much, stand up, walk away, count to ten then look at things in a new light.

Focus on the positives in life. Rather than thinking about the things you haven’t done or what isn’t right, give yourself a pat on the back for what goes well. The more you look on the bright side of life, the better life is!

Surround yourself with cheerful friends. Yes, life can be tough but toxic people will eat away at your happy levels and bring you down.

Get outside and do some exercise. Your to do list might be growing by the minute, but a little fresh air will clear your head and give you some breathing space so you can move forwards calmly.

Remember to smile because it is pretty hard to stay stressed with a grin on your face!

Team Pure Beauty