National Stress Awareness Day 2020

Stress is something that impacts our mental health as well as our physical health. The world right now is witnessing its first global pandemic since 1918. It has dramatically uprooted everyone’s lives, working from home, on-line instruction, and virtual hangouts with friends and family. Here are some tips on how you can reset your mind while working towards reaching complete relaxation. 

Take a Long Walk

Getting outside in the fresh air is the perfect break from any stressful moment. Increased blood flow to the brain can give you better cognitive function, improved memory, and releasing endorphins are proven to elevate your mood. At The Winston School, we also allow our students, with staff supervision, to take a walk to the seawall when they are feeling stressed or need a break from the classroom. The fresh sea breeze and change of scenery really help to calm student and staff nerves when it comes to anxiety or feeling overwhelmed.

Yoga

Yoga helps reduce stress because it encourages relaxation, which will naturally calms your racing mind. Yoga benefits us by involving our entire being: body, mind, and spirit.  Counseling Coordinator, Erika Kyte, instructs yoga via Zoom for the staff on Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing our school community to have a healthy stress outlet. 

Gratitude Journal

Gratitude journaling has become more popular within the last few years, allowing individuals to start each day with a morning journal prompt, encouraging you to write down your goals and promoting a balanced and abundant lifestyle. 

Create a Routine

When your brain has structure, your day will feel more organized and you won’t feel as stressed knowing you have stability in your life. When it comes to your schedule, consistency, and setting goals for yourself will allow your body and mind to connect and accomplish what you need to get done. 

At Winston, we have happily transitioned over the last few weeks into our new routine with our hybrid-learning model with students returning to campus part-time with a longer-term goal of full-time on-campus instruction while still offering virtual instruction. We know that every student handles stress differently and we are thankful that we have the opportunity to be on campus again. 

Change Your Diet

Lastly, it is clinically-proven that a high-fat diet can rescue stress and allow your brain to be more functional throughout the day, reducing your mental fog. Foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil are prime examples of healthy fats that your body needs to produce healthy cells and keep your body warm.