How I Deal With The Struggle...I Mean, Stress

Hey Dolls,

Today I wanted to talk to you all about a little something I've been dealing with lately and perhaps you have been too. This little issue seems to be  my constant companion no matter how fast I try to run away from it and no matter how deep into the far recesses of my mind I retreat in order to hide from it. It's always there regardless as to how fervently I try to avoid it. To what do I refer? A little thing called: "Stress."

We may all experience it's effects in different ways. And we all may be experiencing it for different reasons, but the fact remains that we all deal with stress. It seems in life we never have enough time, money, or resources and often times one or more of these things is the catalyst for us feeling stressed out. But whatever the cause may be we all have to find some way of dealing with the stress in our lives. I thought I would list for you all some of the ways that I deal with my stress.

1. Talk About it.

I don't know about you, but my natural inclination when faced with a problem or conflict is to avoid it at ALL COST. But i've grown to learn that avoiding or ignoring problems does not make rid them from your life nor does it rid them from your mind. You are not eliminating the issue you are simply procrastinating on it. I find it helpful to acknowledge the issues that are causing me stress by talking to a trusted confidant about them. I make sure to choose someone I know will not have preconceived notions about the situations and someone who knows me well enough that they will understand and be sympathetic to my feelings. (Yes, I usually talk to my Mom)

2. Step Back From The Situation.

Sometimes I get so caught up in whatever issue is stressing me out that I feel as though I am drowning emotionally beneath my problems. I find it good to take a step back from the issue, be it literally or figuratively, and try to get some perspective. I try to think about the situation as if I was not me but a neutral third-party and judge the situation accordingly. Now, i'm not going to pretend that this is an easy task to accomplish, because let me tell you it definitely, 100%, is not. However, once I get that perspective, I usually come to find that my situation isn't quite as dire and severe as I was making it out to be, and even if it is a dire situation that I'm in I remember that I've been in pickles (yes, I just used that word) in my life before and I've never once not come out of it on the other side successfully.

3. Do Something Relaxing.

Not once in my life have I ever solved a problem or situation by anxiously worrying and thinking about it. Yet, without fail, every single time that is exactly my first reaction. So, in an effort to calm the beast that is my anxiety ridden mind I try to do something to forget about the problem. Now, this may sound contradictory to what I said in solution number one about how ignoring a problem does

not make it go away, while this is true, on the flip side, obsessively worrying and searching for a way to solve the problem right now, and by right now I mean YESTERDAY (if only I had that time machine always asked my parents to buy me as a kid) also does not make the problem go away. Maintaining my mental sanity (or some semblance thereof) takes high priority in my life. And sometimes the only way to do that is to take some time doing something that takes my mind off of current preoccupations and allows me to get a little R&R even if just for a few moments.

Small things I like to do to relax are: Reading, Watching Netflix, or Journaling (wow, I'm the most boring person in the world aren't I?). Other things that might take a little more time, energy, and/or resources that I love doing to relax include: Bike riding, Walking (or standing, or sitting, or running, or crouching, or jogging, or power walking, or skipping, or...) on the Beach, and Sun-Bathing (although skin cancer is a real thing folks so wear that sunscreen).



So I've only acquired three solutions, but that's because the struggle is real and I'm still trying to find solutions to this myself. If you have any other solutions to stress that you find to be helpful, comment below! If you would like me to write more articles on random life-related things comment below for that too!

Xoxo,
Courtany

As always you can find me gabbing away about hair and beauty things in my nerdy (some have called it "quirky") fashion on My Youtube Channel.
Otherwise, you can find me at a myriad or places on the internets like:

Pinterest
Tumblr
Twitter
Instagram

Tips That Help Me In The Fight Against Insomnia

Hey,

Recently I have been having the hardest time falling asleep at night. I will think that I am tired but the minute the light turns off my brain turns on and I find myself tossing and turning for hours unintentionally trying to solve all of the mysteries and problems in my life. It is no fun at all and it makes it nearly impossible to awaken the next morning at an hour that doesn't make me feel like a teenager again!

Here are some things that I have started trying in an attempt to curb this thorn in my flesh of insomnia. Hopefully, they will help me to solve this problem once and for all and if you are struggling with this as well hopefully that will help you!

1. Camomile Tea:
This is quite a common solution to the insomnia issue. Camomile is said to naturally relieve anxiety and make you sleepy. Some new studies have shown that to receive the full effects it needs to build up in your system over time, meaning that in order to have it really help you fall asleep you need to drink at least one cup every single day and then in the long run it will cure your sleeping problem (or lack of sleeping problem should I say).

2. Exercise:
Exercise makes you tired. Simple as that. Exercise also helps with anxiety, which is commonly the main cause of insomnia. Exercising an hour or two before bedtime will help to relax both your body and your mind. win win.

3. No Late-Night Snacking:
How can our bodies relax enough to fall asleep while they are working so hard to digest those hostess donuts we were just snacking on five minutes before we turned the lights out? I am big on late-night snacks it's totally my vice. Before 8:00 PM I have no interest in snacking on things with no nutritional value, but after 8:00 PM that's a different story. However, sleep is much more important than dessert, not to mention infinitely more healthy!

4. Stay Away From Electronic Devices:
How many of us have said: "I'm going to bed now." And then we immediately pick up our phones and check Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, KIK, try to beat the next level of that game we our playing, check our junk mail, etc for the next hour. Sometimes our problem isn't that we can't fall asleep, it's that we can't let go of our electronic BFF.

5. Read:
"But I need to look at something before bed to relax me!" you may say. Read! Looking at what so-and-so had for dessert won't make you want to fall asleep, but it will make you hungry! (see number 3 for more on that) Instead of getting yourself all riled up over your friend-of-a-friends exotic vacation that you just can't figure out how they can afford, read something relaxing and encouraging. Something that gets your mind off of life (yours or otherwise) and takes you somewhere else, closer to dreamland ideally.

6. White Noise:
If you want to see me literally not fall asleep, like, ever, force me to sleep somewhere in complete silence. I cannot do it. My whole life I have slept with the white noise of a fan off in the background lulling me to sleep and I cannot sleep without it. If you've never tried it, give it a shot, it's a game changer, trust me. Now, if you don't want to dry out your sinuses or freeze to death in the winter by having a fan blowing all night long, fear not, there's an app for that! When I'm on vacation I use the app called, you guessed it: "White Noise." You can get it on your smartphone, or your tablet, or your computer. There's even a "Lite" version that is absolutely free and still has so many options. You can listen to the sound of waves crashing on the shore, raindrops falling, a shower, an air conditioner, an oscillating fan, an airplane engine, the list goes on. You can also listen to regular white noise, brown noise, and some other color noises I can't remember at the moment. The options are endless! "Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, cuz errybody listening to White Noise out here."

These are just a few tips that I have been trying out. I hope that maybe they will help you out as they have been starting to help me. Feel free to let me know in the comments below anything that has worked for you in your struggle to get some shut-eye, I am definitely open to suggestions!

Until Next Time My Darlings!

xoxo Courtany