Nicole Angela

Stress is natural. It happens to everybody at least once in their life and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Whether you’re in high school with a big assignment due soon, in university/ TAFE where your classes are beginning pile up or you’ve just graduated and are worried about finding a job in the ‘real world,’ stress doesn’t discriminate, it happens to everyone.

I myself have certain stressors, but I also have methods to somewhat overcome said stressors, and while these methods may not work for everyone, they are just some of the ways I like to relax and take a bit of time for myself.

Here are the things I suggest in order to stress less:

Something I like to do to calm myself down and remove myself from the worries of life is to become a recluse. Well, not quite a recluse, but I like to take some time to myself for a while. Having some candles within reach is a great way to create a calmer atmosphere tailored to you (I currently have Shadow Homewares’ Vanilla & Brown Sugar candle from Rice Furniture burning beside me). From there, I recommend just doing something simple that you enjoy. Whether it be reading books or blogs or watching movies, TV shows or YouTube, pick something you can zone out to and just relax for a while. You time is always necessary.

Had you told me a year ago that exercise was calming I would have rolled my eyes through the back of my head and walked away, but people change. I enjoy going running (less so right now considering the 30 degree days filled with humidity) but it is a great way to clear your head. Throw together an exercise playlist and go for it. It may be tough initially to get out and run (it still takes me a while to get off the couch) but it allows you to just zone out while you’re exercising and once you get home you’ll feel like you’ve been productive, which is always a bonus.

This may be a little more niche. As someone who enjoys writing I find it calming to type out what I need to sort out in my own head but no, I don’t keep a journal. A lot of what I create actually ends up going on my blog, this process results in me writing about the things I enjoy and gets me into a good mindset. Now, I know many people aren’t as fond of the English language as I am and that’s cool, find your equivalent. I just find it great to distract myself by sharing what I love.

Again, maybe more specific, but hey, these are just ways I like to de-stress and some of them may even work for you.

Now look, I’m a pedantic person who likes to write everything down. Therefore, a diary/ planner is a necessity for me. Making notes in my phone about what I have to do each day is perfect for me. It lets me see what I have going on for that specific day and allows me to organise when I have to get certain tasks completed by. I’m university tutor/ lecturers dream. Anyway, I also have a weekly planner set up on my desk. This gives me a brief rundown of any and all work times, appointments and events going on that week. I’m prone to thinking I’ve forgotten things, so planners and diaries are my saving grace.

I’m very lucky that I have great friends who don’t mind me complaining. If I’ve had a stressful day coming home and talking about it to friends/ family is a great feeling. It lets you debrief and vocalise what you’re feeling or thinking. I’ve always heard you shouldn’t bottle things up and this is no exception. No matter how small or big your stressor is, good friends will listen, give an opinion if needed and let you talk about your day.

So this one may be a little less healthy than the others but nonetheless it helps me relax. I now introduce, RETAIL THERAPY! I find something very comforting about wandering through shops and trying things on, finding items that look good on you and walking out with something new in your life. Even online shopping is great, light that candle and shop from the comfort of your home, luxury! Obviously, we shouldn’t overdo ourselves, just because you’re stressed out doesn’t mean you should blow your rent money, that’ll only cause more stress, but there’s no harm in window shopping and maybe buying a couple of nice pieces.

 These are some of my quick-fire ways to destress. Of course, not all of these suggestions are for everyone and some work better in different situations but I think these are some easy ways to keep calm and carry on, as they say.

This website also provides some great apps to help reduce stress and anxiety if my suggestions aren't quite your speed.

I hope that whatever you’re doing and wherever you are you find ways to stay balanced in your work and personal life.

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If you have any other suggestions on how to keep the stress to a minimum, I’d love to hear about them.

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Pictures and Words by Nicole Dickson

To me, body modifications like tattoos and piercings are amazing modes of self-expression and ultimately, just look really cool. I love getting tattoos and I tend to leave it quite a while before getting them done but also try to get them as often as I can. Kind of like the frequency of my writing on this blog. Oops. But as with this blog I also rather giving each piece more time to be perfected and made into something I am happy with rather than powering out a lot of pieces but having them be mediocre. Quality over quantity I say!

Basically my point here is I don’t really care what modifications you make to your body so long as it makes YOU happy and isn’t hurting other people. I’m all for self-expression in a way that makes you feel more comfortable in your own body.

I will however provide you with my recommendations when it comes to tattoo care and safety.

Tattoos as with many other body modifications are a commitment. Some may be long term and others may be short but either way you have committed yourself to the aftercare of your modification.

I never take my tattoo aftercare lightly, especially as I'm a  Type 1 Diabetic, this means I need to be very careful with my healing process. However this applies to everyone. If you are not willing to look after your tattoo by putting the necessary creams on it, keeping it out of the scorching sunlight for a while and in essence just not letting it get infected, then reconsider getting a tattoo. It simply won’t be worth it.

Having lectured you about the aftercare of tattoos (which I’m sure the artist will do as well) and you still want to get a it done, now we'll look at where you’ll go to get the tattoo itself. In keeping my lecturer hat on I will tell you, please don’t get a home job tattoo, I know your friend might be incredibly talented but hygiene and safety is far more important.

I’ve had tattoos done in both Brisbane and Thailand and honestly it doesn’t matter what city you’re in as long as you do your research. Make sure they have the necessary qualifications, that they have a good reputation and that you trust them. While they are preparing the equipment for your tattoo watch the artist and make sure that they are using new needles, ones that they’ve taken out of sealed packages in front of you and in general are being super hygienic about EVERYTHING. This applies to any tattoo studio no matter if they are renowned for their work or are hardly known at all.

I have three tattoos at this current point in time, having completed my last tattoo at the start of this month and I absolutely love each of them and plan to get more.

I’m the sort of person where if I like the position of the tattoo on my body I will suck it up and deal with the pain, which I’m lucky that I can do. However, if you’re not like this, please take into consideration your pain tolerance and the fact that you need to sit completely still for this period of time. No squirming or pulling away due to the pain.

Having my wrist, ribs and back done there’s definitely parts of your body that hurt to get tattooed more than others. My wrist, for instance, was my first tattoo and hardly hurt at all. My second was my ribs which hurt like crazy but was manageable. But my third tattoo which is a larger piece on my back was excruciating. Luckily I toughed it out and only made it a little frustrating for the artist (sorry Mimi!). But this is definitely something you need to take into consideration.

Personally, I like to sit on the idea and placement of my tattoo for a few months (at least) before getting it done purely because I am the queen of indecision and need to make sure it’s exactly what I want. However, I commend the people who can get tattoos spur of the moment.

Maybe one day…

Anyway all I’m trying to do here is express my love for body modifications and also preach to you about tattoo safety which you may have heard many times before, but I don’t really think you can hear about it enough.

I hope your future body mod endeavors are exciting and make you look and feel amazing.

I will link below where I had my tattoos done:

My wrist: Royal Ink, Brisbane

My ribs: Celebrity Ink, Phuket, Thailand

My back: Valley Ink, Brisbane – with Mimi Guoh

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Feel free to send in any photos of your tattoos as I’d love to see the different designs people have!

Also if you have any questions about my tattoos or tattoos in general definitely send me a message.