6 Ways to Help End of the Year Stress
With the holidays rolling around the corner and 2020 coming to an end, you may be feeling some end of the year stress. Whether you are working from home and feeling the pressure to meet several project deadlines before the end of the year or maybe you’re a student trying to cram for your finals. Here are some suggestions on how to take care of your mental health during these overwhelming times.
1. Jotting Things Down
2020 has been a whirlwind of emotions and journaling can help you work through your emotions by putting pen to paper. Any form of writing can help you express yourself as well as relieve some of the stress you may be feeling lately. With all that is going on this month, you may find yourself with a massive to-do list that is so long you can’t even keep track of what is on it, so write it down.
2. Exercising or Meditating
Take 20-30 minutes out of your day to exercise! Exercising daily can very much help your mental and physical health. There are plenty of ways you can exercise throughout the day whether you decide to go for a quick run before you hop on your 9 am zoom call for work or take a quick break throughout the day to lift some weights. Are you feeling exhausted? Haven’t stretched in weeks? Make it a habit to meditate every morning or do a little yoga before bed. This can help put your mind at ease before you start your day or calm your mind before you hit bed.
3. Getting Enough Rest
When working from home or doing virtual school, it is difficult to find that work-life balance. You may find yourself logging in at 9 am but continuing to work way past 10 pm every single day. Take some time to rest and enjoy your evening whenever you can. For all, you students out there, avoid pulling all-nighters and get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. This is especially important if it is the night before a big exam, so you feel well-rested and ready to ace it.
4. Eating Healthy and Drinking Water
Have you been taking the opportunity to learn how to cook or at least cooking more meals at home due to COVID-19? How about cooking healthy foods? During times of stress, it is important to take care of your body and what you are eating daily. Whether it is choosing alternatives to grabbing a chocolate bar for a snack or limiting the number of times you go on that delivery application and ordering from your favourite restaurant. Trust us, we know it is tempting, but try and cook a meal at home every once in a while! Moderation is key. Remember to also drink water consistently throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated!
5. Keeping in Touch with Friends and Family Virtually
Without a doubt, one of the hardest adjustments we had to make this year was turning in-person social gatherings to virtual ones. It was an adjustment that had to be made for our safety and the safety of those around us. However, with that adjustment, it meant less social interaction on a daily basis and potentially taking a toll on our mental health. It is important to stay in touch with friends and family through less traditional ways such as Zoom video chats, Facetime, and other forms of online communication. With the holidays just around the corner, to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe enjoy the holidays together virtually!
6. Minimizing Your Clutter
Minimizing your digital and mental clutter can help your mental health during this stressful time of the year. Decluttering your physical surroundings can also in-turn help your mental state. You can try to declutter your work area/office and the areas of your home that you spend the most time in and see how that impacts your mental state.
Remember, if you end up decluttering your home and find you no longer have the space for certain belongings consider storing them in a self-storage unit. We at XYZ Storage are here to help you with our customizable storage solutions to fit your storage and moving needs!
