Things that have helped me tremendously, that may also help you.

This is a quite a touchy topic which I have wanted to write about for a very long time but I just did not know how to process what I was thinking, down into words but I'm going to have a go. 

I have days where I put on an outfit, look in the mirror and just think 'damn I look great' and feel so positive about myself and feel positive for the rest of the day and then there are days where I think 'why doesn't my butt look as big as Kim K's'. I think that near enough everyone, whether you are male or female and also including myself, have had thoughts about how they see themselves whether that be in a positive or negative thought. I'm sure we all have said or thought things such as 'Oh I wish I looked like her', 'my bum and/or boobs aren't big enough.', 'I need thicker thighs/slimmer legs', 'I need killer abs/muscles' or something along those lines because I most definitely have. 




I began exercising at home from 2013 but never really took it seriously until I think December 2014. When I did begin to take it seriously over 2015, I have made quite a lot of progress when it comes to my core, waist, butt and thighs/legs and I am really happy to have reached my body goal. But even then, when I'm scrolling down Instagram and seeing all the IG fitness models, I can't help but think 'wow I wish I had a bum like hers' or "Why aren't my hips that big and my waist not that small" which just makes me want to exercise and work out even more even though the model's body type/proportions are no where near similar to mine. I've had times where I look at a photo and think 'I need to get my body like hers', when in reality, my body type is no where near similar to the girl in the photo so I'm basically just being unrealistic.

Having been influenced by so many factors, (one of which I think the biggest factor is through the media), society has created this image of what is considered to be 'perfect' in terms of when it comes to individuals and what they look like, whether that be body wise or appearance wise. We see things in the media, whether that be on the television, in magazines or online, celebrities and models having the most perfect tanned airbrushed skin with no imperfections at all and this causing many young girls trying to fit into this image of 'perfection' i.e. girls have to have long legs, long hair and curves in the right places but still be slim and guys have to be tall yet built and muscly.This image that is being passed onto young people is when a preoccupation of wanting to be thin or 'perfect' takes over their mind in which it leads to eating disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia. 

Whether it be a big situation or even just the teeny tiniest thing, I am the type of person to stress over things a lot. I am that type of person who will constantly over think situations and my mind will make up scenarios which make out the situation I am in, worse than it really is which results in me feeling incredibly overwhelmed. To make things worse, I will keep what is stressing me out bottled up instead of releasing it.

I'm sure that if you are reading this, you may have been in situations where it resulted in you feeling stressed or overwhelmed because life does have it's ups and downs with the bumps in the road. Some of these situations may be certain life events such as having to deal with a divorce of your parents or someone passing away or things such as exams for school subjects, etc, and it can be hard to deal with these types of situations you are possibly in. When you are stressed, you may feel nauseous, tired, scared of what is going to happen, etc and too much stress can be very bad for your health and well-being causing health problems such as headaches, depression and anxiety.



I'm sure all of us have had people tell us to 'calm down' or 'stop stressing' which is easier said then done especially if they do not know why you are worrying or stressing about something. Over the years I have learnt how to get stress and anxiety under control and I thought that I would share some of these ways. These may work for you, they may not work for you, who knows? They are just particularly some of the ways I am able to feel less stressed/overwhelmed/anxious in any given situation. 

1. I know that for quite a lot of people, exams are coming up whether you are in University, doing A-Levels or are at GCSE and you'll be doing mock papers and revising a lot. When it comes to exams, I get extremely stressed and especially worried, about how it will go down and some of you may also feel similar. You might end up overworking yourself when it comes to things such as revision which won't help. I know for when I had to revise for exams, I would end up revising non-stop without breaks until it got really late at night. This did not help me at all as it meant that I was trying to cram information into my brain in order to remember it. On top of that, I would go sleep later and wake up early which meant I was really tired the next morning.
   
   When it comes to things such as exams or tests and trying to keep my stress and anxiety levels to a minimum, I make sure to take time outs and breaks over the time that I will be revising for. For example: if you are planning to revise for 4 hours, revise first for an hour and a half and then maybe take a 20 minute break for your brain to rest for a while and carry on for another hour and a half, etc (you get my drift). During the breaks you could go outside and get some fresh air if you are inside or maybe read a book before going back to revising. TIP: During the Spring/Summer time, if the weather is sunny outside, you could take your books and notes outside to revise! I did this once a few months before an exam in June and it helps. Also, make sure to get enough sleep. Making sure that you get enough sleep before the day of a test or exam is key because it allows your body to get the rest it needs especially if you have been feeling stressed.
2. I find that listening to music and just clearing my mind also helps with coping with stress and anxiety. For me when I'm stressed about something, I enjoy listening to music that is calm or chilled out which I know will put me in a relaxed mood. You could search up calm music on YouTube and just listen to that and see if it helps. If you are unable to sleep, stick some music on which may help you to fall asleep and just clear your mind for the time being so you can fall asleep,
3. Talk to someone! If there is something on your mind and it is making you feel anxious or it's overwhelming, talking to someone can help to lift the 'weight off your chest'. Whether it be over exams and you're worried about whether you know the right stuff for it, maybe get someone to quiz you. If it is a personal matter which you are stressing about and it is what's making you anxious, maybe talk to someone who you know will sit down and really listen to you.