hobbies

Life grabs a hold of us and just doesn’t seem to let go. We’re in a whirlpool made of schoolwork, our careers, babies, boyfriends, family and we’re girls. Somehow women have a way of making time for it all and forget to have “me” time, not realizing how essential having time for ourselves can be. We all wish we could be at every place at one time because we don’t want to miss anything. Sometimes we have to drop everything and just take a moment to get to know ourselves. Since we forget to care for ourselves it’s easy to lose touch with fashion, makeup, hobbies, what we like and what we don’t like. It’s important to know who we are as a person.

There are some of us who can’t seem to stay away from what needs our attention. OR it could be that we are so attached to our men, careers, family and friends that it’s hard to disconnect. Yes, everyone will miss you but just go M.I.A for a day. Tell your man that you need a day of pampering and even try to make him pay for it. He’s probably the reason you need a day to yourself anyway. Go get your nails done, hair done, go shop, or splurge on an item you’ve been eyeing. I would even suggest looking for something new to try like yoga, an African dance class, or a cooking class. Just something or someplace where you can focus on yourself.

Stress is even more of a reason to take a day off from everything. We shouldn’t let life take a toll on us, because it does get hard, and then it becomes unbearable. But by taking an occasional time out, you can avoid the feeling of an overload. As much as we’d all love to pretend to be Wonder Woman and possess her awesome outfit and accessories, unfortunately we’re not. We become tired and the days wear us out. So do something that will benefit your well-being.

It’s frustrating to read articles that read, “Live a stress free life.” It is nearly impossible to have it all together in order to live a stress free life. Even the wealthiest people deal with stressful situations. Stress is just the bane of our existence. It’s a part of life. The older we get, it seems like more things get added to our stress pile. Whether it is school stress, relationship stress or family stress it is productive to have control over yourself during these times.

Stress can definitely consume a person, leading to distress. Distress occurs when a person is continuously dealing with stress without a moment of relaxation. If you’re experiencing headaches, high blood pressure, or problems sleeping you may be in distress. If you haven’t reached a point of distress yet, it is best to find ways to battle the stress immediately. These tips can help distressed individuals as well.

Find something that you like to do to relieve any tension and stress built up inside you. Harvesting stress can be really unhealthy, so finding a way to let it out would be wiser. A hobby can be anything from knitting to writing on a blog. Something inexpensive that way you can do it every time you feel that you’re overwhelmingly stressed. Keeping a “stress journal” so that you can take all the stress inside you and place it on the paper. Of course writing in a journal is not the same as speaking to your friends about what’s going on with you. But it’s a good way to let it out, when you don’t want to talk to anyone.

As adults we tend to forget to spend some time to ourselves. Our lives no longer revolve around just us. It’s about our careers, our kids, our husbands. We don’t take time to worry about us. Dealing with stressor after stressor without a moment of peace and relaxation can drive a woman up the wall. Go for a walk once in a while, sit in the park and reflect on life. Think about what is making you so stressed and find the best way to deal with that stressor. If you need something to get your body moving, try exercising on a daily basis. Need a punching bag? Sign up for boxing lessons and just try it out. It just might help, instead of harboring your feelings.

The little things also help, laugh more and worry less. Laugh as much as you can, even when you don’t feel like laughing. Share your feelings with people and learn to forgive. You won’t live a stress-free life, but you will be able to battle the stress.

Miquira J.