I think that the most stressful thing in my life right now—or at least today—is the intense heat I feel every day. I stepped out for a few minutes to take a walk down the road today, only to feel like I was going to faint just after a few metres. It's crazy how hot it is these days. Thankfully, we have constant electricity to battle the heat with cooling appliances.
...but I am only daydreaming. Constant electricity is like a miracle where I am from. So, no, I do not get to cool off easily. And the heat stresses me a lot, as does having my devices run low on batteries. There's not much I can do about those for now anyway, so let's talk about something else.
Different things stress me every now and then, and they include when things do pan out smoothly or as planned, when someone's being obnoxious and getting in my way, and when I am perplexed about something that should be rather simple to grasp. And in such times, there are a few things that I turn to, in no particular order.
I never would have imagined that typing could turn out to be something therapeutic for me. I became determined to learn touch typing about two years ago, and the journey has been rather transformative.
I wanted to get faster and better, and so I practiced every day for a long time. And with time, it became a routine. I would just sit in front of my PC, typing away. Although progress was slow, it was steady and fulfilling with time. And then it turned into something that I would always do to get in the mood to write a post. So yeah, I already practiced before starting this post.
What happens when I practice touch typing is that I think way less about any other thing than hitting the right keys and focusing on maintaining speed and accuracy. And so, if I had been a bit tensed up or stressed before, I would soon relax and feel much better.
And speaking of speed, I just hit 83 words per minute (WPM) tonight. And that is my new all-time high. Fascinating! My consistency still hovers around 75%, though. Anyway, moving on.
I have spent a lot of hours watching films. My childhood was filled with a lot of cartoon shows and films, and that is still a part of me now. Heck, I probably have about a hundred film reviews here on Hive. And it is because watching films is an escape for me.
A good film, well done, and some snack of food with me, with the fan on (if there's electricity), and a couple of hours, then I would likely have de-stressed. I am not sure if many people relate, but here's one thing that works in many situations for me. And, most likely, I'll start a new series tonight.
I found going to the gym to be another level of therapy for me in 2021 when I was on my third intership programme back when I was at the university. I couldn't deal with being indoors all evening and night after a long day at work, and I didn't have friends nearby to unwind with, so I thought to try a gym nearby. What I discovered with time unlocked something for me.
Apparently, sleeping and resting adequately have never really been something I do well. It's a thing that has to do with my body not feeling fatigued enough to rest for a long time sometimes.
Coupled with a good diet, exercises and weight lifting do very well to keep me balanced mentally and physically, ultimately reducing my stress levels and keeping me in an optimal state.
I joined the gym again this month and was consistent for two weeks until I had to deal with a health challenge for a long time. Thankfully, I am improving, so I will resume next week or so. I have actually missed it, as I have been feeling a bit off without it lately. Sometimes a bit antsy due to stress.
Lastly, but of course never least, is talking with loved ones. It could be just about anything, but I always love it when I spend time in conversations with my dearest ones: Bae, The GentleBros, and a few other tight pals. My circle is pretty small. No too much talk about this one, as it is really relatable to many.
Oh, wait. I didn't add listening to songs and podcasts. Actually, there are just a select few musicians and podcasters I listen to, and they come in handy when it comes to calming and de-stressing.
Jacob Collier, NF, Khalid, and Ed Sheeran are a few musicians I love. And then there are Jay Shetty, a self-help guru, and Marques Brownlee, a tech creator, with their On Purpose and Waveform podcasts that I always tune to every day.
And there we have it. Jay's list of de-stressants. Now, on to a film series to binge tonight. I haven't decided yet, though.
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