Every university student can probably refer you to a time where they've been sat crying in bed with 10 sheets of paper in front of them and two cups of coffee. University might be the best years of your life, but that's not to say it doesn't come with its hardships and blood, sweat and tears (slight exaggeration). It's so easy to get caught under the workload and feel like you physically and mentally can't cope anymore and with it being Mental Health Day last week, I wanted to make this post to highlight how your state of mind is just as important as your physical wellbeing. Having dealt with depression in the past, I know the worst thing you can do is not tell anyone what's going on and just try to keep going on with your day to day life even though its killing you inside, or locking yourself up in your room and staying in bed all day. I know this post won't solve every problem, but I hope it can give you a little pick me up when you need it!
2. Get some squats in. Or any other form of exercise! I know a lot of people preach that they go to the gym because it makes them feel good and energised and all that great stuff, but I'd rather watch Donald Trump speak for 30 minutes than walk on a treadmill for 20. Instead I love going for walks, swimming (mermaid, duh) and dancing like an idiot to SIA around my living room. They all do the job for kickstarting those endorphins and lowering stress levels.
3. Plan ahead, it will save you all the stress. I did a post all about keeping yourself organised at university last week, which you can find here. We're all familiar with the fear of the unknown and you come to realise when you actually sit and plan things out and when you're doing what, everything seems more doable and less scary and you won't have a million questions keeping you up at night.
4. Learn to cook. You are what you eat, and I can say I never feel fabulous after eating two ready meals but I feel pretty good about myself when I manage to master a home cooked meal - I make the best lasagna. It's also the perfect time to unwind and focus your mind on something else. Your body and mind will thank you when you eat well and don't skip meals.
5. Make your bed. I weirdly enjoy tidying up my room, it kind of makes me feel like I have my life together when my room looks pretty, which is pretty hard to achieve with cream carpets. I rarely make my bed (because I'm always in it) but I'm making more of an effort to make it every morning, it just encourages you to get s*** done and makes it all the better when you get to climb under the sheets in the evening.
6. Read for pleasure. If you think your life sucks, or you're feeling low the best thing you can do is lose yourself in somebody else's story, and I don't mean stalking your ex's new beau on Instagram for an hour. I've read a number of young adult romance novels recently to make me feel more positive about my failing love life.
7. Talk to your friends the old fashioned way. As convenient as texting, FaceTime, tweeting and tagging your friends in funny dog videos is, you're pretty much still isolating yourself from human contact. If you're going through a rough time or dealing with something, try and find that one friend you can confide in so you'll always have a shoulder to cry on instead of bottling it all in. A close family member of mind passed away last month and as much as I don't want to bother people when I'm feeling down I know they're happy to hear me vent. Similarly getting 8 hours of work done a day is great, but your brain will explode if that's all you do. Head to spoons for a round and let your mind have a bit of fun.
8. Laugh. Sometimes we get in a state of sadness that we almost can't shake, and just want to stay in bed and feel sorry for ourselves. No matter the circumstances there's always something you know will have you giggling in no time, may it be through YouTube, parody accounts or sitting on Chat Roulette with your housemates for an hour. Whenever I feel low I find New Girl is such an uplifting show to watch, I also happen to have a pretty funny bunch of friends around me (and a hilarious 6 year old brother). After all, laughter is the best medicine!
9. Don't compare yourself to others. Everybody has their demons, so just because they seem perfectly happy on social media doesn't mean that that's the case. Dwelling on the things you don't have that other people do will only lead you on a downward spiral of unhappiness and unrealistic expectations. Focus on the things you do have and how you can make yourself the best version of you. As my old friend JB said last week, we all have our own purpose to fulfil.
10. Find little things that uplift you. Getting your nails done, treating yourself to a honeycomb hot chocolate every other night, putting a face mask on, whether its something materialistic or personal experiences, we all have our individual coping mechanisms for when life gets tough, all you need to do is identify them!
I hope you guys liked this post, I'm by no means an expert in the matter and we're all individual people who work differently, these are just some of the things I find work for me and as always I just wanted to share my thoughts with you. You may be my best friend, an avid reader or just stumbled across my blog for the first time, but if you ever feel the need to express yourself to someone, or just need someone to listen, you know how to contact me. On the other hand, if you feel like you're dealing with anxiety or depression and need professional help you can talk with a therapist near you by visiting ThriveTalk.com.
♡ GS ♡
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