Beat Stress with Positive Thinking

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health.

The Mayo Clinic describes positive thinking as “It doesn’t mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life’s less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.”

There are little things you can introduce to your day-to-day life to be more positive:

Take time to relax and unwind
Relax with a book or an uplifting film. Having time to relax is incredibly important and will help your mind to refocus on important decisions when they arise. Give yourself some quiet time with no phones or disturbances, just five minutes a day can help to reduce stress and keep yourself calm.

Give yourself permission to smile and laugh!
Make the most of technology to talk to your friends or family and have fun virtually! Tell jokes and play games; let loose and enjoy yourself. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals and has been proven to decrease stress levels.

Surround yourself with positive people and remove negativity
Remove the negative elements in your life and surround yourself with positivity.

Follow a healthy lifestyle – exercise is a great starting point!
Make the most of your daily exercise and go for a walk or run outside to get some fresh air. Exercise is proven to help tackle stress, as it boosts the production of endorphins and will improve your mood, relax your body and give you a hit of self-confidence.

Check yourself!
If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, try and find a way of putting a positive spin on them. Practice positive self-motivation. Start by following one simple rule: don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health.

Good luck!

I just wanted to say the biggest thank you to Vanessa, my trainer. You have made my journey so much easier, I don’t know what I would have done without you. You have been amazing and helped me to achieve my qualification. You’ve guided me through every step of the way, I really appreciate it, Vanessa, you have been my rock.

Katie Shorland, Level 2 Hairdressing

I always struggled in school as I wasn’t very academic, so knew learning on the job would be a better option for me. I would find it difficult to get up for 9am but now I wake up and look forward to my day. I wanted to try a hair apprenticeship as I’ve always been interested in hairdressing, and by the end of the first week, I already loved it!

Jaimee Benson, Level 2 Hairdressing

I have developed a range of new skills through work including the technical, industry skills required for the job, to personal development such as ensuring I am always on time. The biggest change since leaving school is adjusting to the independence you gain from earning a salary. My advice to anyone thinking of doing an apprenticeship would be find what you like doing, and go for it!

Will Birch, Level 2 Bricklaying

Since starting the apprenticeship, I’ve become far more confident. In a classroom, you only interact with your classmates, but through working you develop your people skills as you interact with customers on a daily basis. At school, you are closely monitored and parented, however I am now more independent and feel grown up

Sam Collard, Level 2 Light Vehicle and Maintenance Repair

The most important thing I’ve learnt since leaving school is that there are other routes to success than just academia. I failed my GCSEs, as I never suited the school environment. Now though, I’m really enjoying my apprenticeship as I’ve discovered I learn more through hands-on practice.

Ben Freeman, Level 2 Carpentry

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Luke Kowalski, Teaching Assistant and former apprentice at Sir Robert Gefferys School