I don't handle stress well. I get irritable, emotional, fidgety, break out in spots, consume my weight in chocolate, and about a million other things when I'm stressed or getting worked up. For some people, a trip to the gym helps them to release the tension and stresses of the day. For others, it's getting curled up on the sofa with a good book and a hot chocolate. Don't get me wrong, these things are great for relieving stress, but I personally like to do a few other things to perk myself up and chill myself out.
Depending on what mood I'm in, the tiniest thing can get me stressed out. A lighter not working properly, forgetting about a cup of tea that's gone cold, if the washing machine is being just a bit too loud for me to watch YouTube, I stress out.
My main zone of defence against stress is talking to my mum. I know that talking to someone may seem pretty obvious when you're feeling down or stressed, but my mum is just like my diary. She's my best friend and is always there to impart her years of wisdom onto me. I feel much better after a cup of tea and a long rant with my mum.
Something else I like to do is watch vlogs on YouTube. I find that I'm too restless to sit and watch a film or a TV show, but trawling through videos on the Internet immerses me pretty well, and I can walk around with my phone to stop myself getting fidgety. At the moment, I'm really loving Zoe Sugg's vlogs. I know that a lot of people don't like Zoe for whatever reason, but I personally think she's an inspiration - she created a brand from her bedroom, has her own beauty range, has published 4 books, and is basically just life goals. She's down to earth, and it's really interesting to see how the other half live, especially when they come from such humble beginnings. If I wanted to watch a rich person play rich, I'd watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians.. which I do.. sometimes.
Another way I like to immerse myself is through watching dance videos. I get so pulled in watching amazing dance routines, everything from ballet to street dance crews. I especially love watching the Royal Family crew, and Sorority as well. Check out one of my favourite routines by Sorority below!
Something that I probably have in common with a lot of people in order to de-stress, is to run a nice hot bath, complete with a Lush bath bomb and lots of bubbles. My favourite thing to do is pull up a little table next to the bath, pop a glass of cold water and maybe a bar of chocolate (or something else yummy and nibbly), and set my phone up to either watch YouTube, or listen to music on Spotify. I always naturally find myself wanting to shave my legs and exfoliate in the bath, but I do it pretty slowly and half-assed for a long time while I'm watching videos, so it works out much better than scrambling to shave my legs quickly in the shower.
At the moment, I am loving the Imperial Leather Polynesian Spa bubble cream, it smells absolutely divine and does exactly what it says on the tin - BUBBLES! I'm currently using a mango and coconut scrub, as well as the Baija Gommage Festin Royal Body Scrub - it lathers as you scrub away, and has the most gorgeous caramelised sugar scent. It's packed with shea and honey for super smooth skin, and I just love it.
My bathroom is by no means the nicest room in the house - it looks like the kind of bathroom that you would get murdered in, but when you're surrounded by bubbles and delicious smells, it makes very little difference. One day, I hope to have enough money to buy a bathtub that simultaneously fits my knees and my tatas, but that's nothing but a pipe dream (ha).
Another great way for me to de-stress and perk myself up is to put on one of my favourite playlists, and just go nuts dancing around the kitchen. We have a very narrow, small kitchen, but it makes no difference to me. I will serenade into a wooden spoon and catwalk that shit. Never underestimate music, and always listen to music for the mood you want to be in, not the mood you are. Sometimes it's nice to belt out sad songs when you're sad, but I'd rather be smiling and happy. Wouldn't everyone?
Like I said in my introduction to this post, a simple hot chocolate and a book is a fantastic way to melt your worries away, too. I personally love Cadbury's hot chocolate, but Whittards is my go-to for something a little fancier. If you haven't tried Whittards hot chocolate before, I seriously recommend you try it.
At the moment I'm reading the Harry Potter series, and although I go through phases with reading, I do really enjoy it. I have loads of other books that I want to read, some I've bought recently, some from years ago that I still haven't had a chance to read (or just been too lazy). I can read a whole book in a day, or it might take me a few months. But it's always a good way to distract yourself.
And lastly, blogging. Although writing my blog can stress me out a little (because I'm a perfectionist), it usually entertains me for long enough that I've forgotten what I was originally stressing about. If I get writer's block, I just walk away from the laptop and do something else for 10 minutes. Once I've come back to the computer, I have a slightly different thought stream from before, so I can usually add another paragraph or two. It's so exciting seeing a preview of your finished blog post, especially one you worked hard on and really enjoyed writing. Now that I've gotten back into blogging, I think this will probably be one of my go-to things to de-stress.
And that's basically it. I try to relax as much as possible and keep myself busy and distracted. Other people may wish to write in a diary to get all their negative feelings out - it's different for everyone. How do you deal with stress? I'd love to know!
Ciao for now,
Katie x
