Q Dear Auntie Pearl, how are you?
I am trying really hard to turn over a new leaf and not stress so much.
I am a worrier and with things in our communities getting worse and of course Covid-19, I’ve been worrying more and more.
I really try to relax, I take deep breaths, I even do some yoga moves every now and then. Walking helps also, but I can’t always go somewhere nice to walk.
I also try to only do one thing at a time and to focus on that. But I was now wondering whether you have any more tips to reduce stress levels.
The thing is I’ve seen many good books and things you can buy to help you stress less but surely there must be some ‘free’ and easy things I can add to my life?
Hope you can help me, Auntie.
From Stress Less.
A Dear Stress Less, Auntie is kiertsregop and ready to roll, hartjie! Thank you for asking.
Now first off, stress is part and parcel of being a human being, and a lot of times it can actually help motivate you to get things done.
Sometimes we also deal with high stress situations like a serious illness, losing your job, the death of a family member or friend, or due to violence in our communities and so on.
These things might also make you feel down, sad, anxious and other negative emotions.
Auntie does have a few practical ways that you can reduce your worries.
Be thankful: Now daai might sound like a bietjie fruity and loopy but being grateful for what we have can make a big difference. The slim people say humans can’t feel stressed and grateful at the same time – so if you are focusing on what you are thankful for, you won’t have time to feel stressed!
So yes, you might not earn a lot of money, but at least you have a job.
You might not have your favourite meal tonight, but at least you have something to eat.
Try practicing gratitude – think of three things you are grateful for every day – say them out loud, write them down or share them with a family member or friend.
Get more sleep: Sleep is very important to our well-being but most mense don’t sleep enough or don’t get enough quality sleep.
Now, some of us share a bed with one or more mense, some of us don’t even have a bed, so it can be tricky to get good sleep, Auntie knows.
But see if you can practise even one of these good sleeping tips because sleep helps to heal and restore our bodies.
For better sleep Auntie suggests you: exercise regularly, get out in the sunlight, don’t drink alcohol or caffeine close to bedtime, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, don’t watch TV or scroll on your phone for 30 minutes before you go to bed, get your room as cool and dark as possible, and turn your phone off if you can.
Eat as healthy as possible: Again, Auntie knows eating good food is not always possible because of money and so on, but what you eat and how you feel are directly connected with each other.
The healthier you eat, the healthier your brain will feel and the less stressed you will be.