At the beginning of 2020, we may have had personal goals and plans for the year. For matriculants, passing matric is most probably on that list. That was until 27 March, when the national lockdown happened due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.Fear, hopelessness and stress became more present in our lives.

Schools and some businesses closed down and resulted in them letting go of their employees. This all added to the stress caused by Covid-19.

What is stress?
Stress can be defined as a great worry that is caused by a difficult situation. According to Help Guide, it is how the body responds to any change, demand or threat, which may cause tension, emotionally or physically.
Some of the dangers caused by stress are that it may cause illnesses like stomach cramps, headaches, weight loss or gain, and lack of sleep. We all experience stress at some point in our lives and because we cannot avoid it, we must learn how to manage it.

Here are five tips on how to manage stress:

Meditation
It is about being quiet, calm and fully aware of your feelings.
During this quiet time, it is advisable to say positive things to yourself like “I am strong”, “I can overcome this,” and statements like “I will get through this year wiser”, “I am smart” and “I love myself”.
Doing this once or twice a day relaxes your body.

Get enough hours of sleep
Stress creates worry about things that we have no control over and worry makes you tired and grumpy. Make sure you sleep for at least seven or eight hours. To help your body get a restful night’s sleep, try meditating before sleeping or drink-ing warm milk as this helps to relieve anxiety and relax your body.

A healthy, balanced diet
When we stress, we tend to eat a lot of junk food, which is not a good thing. We should drink a lot of water throughout the day and a cup of warm water with lemon to help strengthen the immune system. Eat fruits and try to have a vegetable in every cooked meal.

Exercise
Most people cannot jog or cycle in the streets, but you can do home exercises in your bedroom. Cleaning the house is another form of exercise as you are physically active.

Keeping healthy relationships
Being in lockdown with family members can sometimes become frustrating and increase your stress levels.
During this period, try introducing game time in the evenings where you can have fun as a family, or doing chores together where you can bond while cooking or tidying up. Do not see lockdown as punishment; it is an opportunity to bond with your loved ones.

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