Ad. Sometimes life can be overwhelming and stressful. In moments like this, we just need to switch off! Stress is not a pleasant thing to feel. It can make you feel like you are constantly on the verge of something bad happening. It can make you feel like you are not in control of your life and there is nothing that you can do about it. Stress is a natural part of life, but sometimes it becomes too much and starts to affect your health.

Stress affects the body by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. It also increases the production of hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol, and epinephrine. This leads to a number of physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, chest pain, sleep problems, weight gain or loss, changes in appetite or sex drive etc.

The main cause for stress is usually work-related – deadlines or an overload. We’ve all been there, where we struggle to switch off. But sometimes we need to stop thinking about work and relax a little.

Here are 5 things you can do to stop thinking about something so you can switch off.

Listen to music

There are certain songs that always uplift my spirits! Songs from when I was younger and at uni remind me of fun times out dancing with friends. It’s hard to listen to those songs and not get lost in time a little bit!

Even better if I’ve got a glass of wine and I’m dancing along in the kitchen while cooking dinner.

Play games

Playing simple games is a great distraction. Solitaire.org not only has classic solitaire and card games but others like matching games, Mah Jong, word games and hidden object games.

I always get trapped in hidden object games! They’re free on Solitaire, I’ve bought many in the past after doing the free trial because they’re so much fun!

I’ve been playing The Palace Hotel one and it’s addictive!

Exercise

I love lifting weights, it’s my go-to workout. But if I’m feeling overwhelmed and want to clear my mind, a run helps me more than anything else! I can run out my stress, my anger and just focus on the run!

Works for me every time.

Organise something

Declutter your home, organise your clothes and get rid of things that you don’t wear. Go through the kitchen cupboards and check for out of date food. Tackle that mess under the stairs that you’ve been avoiding. It will take your mind off things while you’re doing it and you will feel so much better after!

Get lost in a TV series

I prefer TV series to movies as I like how you can really escape into that world for much longer. A movie is over too quick! I love it when a TV show grabs me and gets me wanting to watch the next episode quickly!

Here are some great TV shows I’ve loved lately:

• Superstore (comedy)
• And just like that (new Sex and The City!)
• Call the midwife (feel good TV!)
• Cheer (documentary about cheerleading)
• The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (dark comedy)
• Unto the unknown (making of Frozen 2 documentary)

What do you like to do when you need to take your mind off something?