If you’re about a second away from going full Britney and shaving off your hair from stress… put the clippers down a sec and take a breath.
We all know what stress feels like, it’s part of life, and we know stress is doing more harm than good, but it’s not such an easy thing to kick.
Stress is our body’s way of helping out when we’re dealing with hectic situations – like when you’re being chased by a lion and you have to climb up a huge tree or when you have to smash out an essay in exam conditions.
Sometimes it can be OK, but feeling stressed all the time is bad for your health and it’s probably stopping you from applying yourself too. Point is, you can’t run away from a lion when you’re over-stressed, can you? So read on to learn how you can cope with stress better.
Everyday stress
A little bit of stress is normal in our day to day lives and this can be overcome with a few simple strategies:
- Take a moment to breathe and chill out
- Change your thinking (bring perspective and find the positives)
- Talk to a friend or someone you trust
- Check out some tips to manage study stress.
When stress is life
It’s important to recognise when what you’re feeling is more than everyday stress, and know that it’s OK to ask for help. When you’re feeling over-stressed, you might have trouble sleeping, feel snappy or overwhelmed, struggle to control your emotions, make silly mistakes or find yourself slipping into negative thought patterns. If that’s sounding familiar remember, there’s help available.
If you need help, you can talk to someone you trust in the school, you might be surprised at how the school can help.
If you don’t know who to talk to, you can call Kids Helpline, Lifeline, Headspace or talk to someone you trust.
