First things first, this week has already been a nightmare for me, and it’s only Tuesday! I forgot to meet up with a friend (thank goodness she was busy too) and missed a group counseling session… all in one day due to stress. When I get stressed out, I focus all of my energy onto ONE thing. It doesn’t even matter what that thing is, but my mind will revolve around that thing until I am able to work through it and move on. That leads to my becoming disorganized, disoriented, and off-track when it comes to my priorities. However, I found something that made my day a million times better and is something I found to be a great de-stresser…
DOING SOMETHING I LOVE
Now I KNOW this is the timeless cliche… “Do something fun to de-stress!”
But if you’re anything like me, stress removes any thought of ‘fun’ from my brain. Stress puts me in this place of absolute focus on the things that make me unhappy, such as school, work, or other un-glamorous priorities. However, today in class, we got to do something I never have time for… painting! And wow, it turned my day around. I felt so relaxed in that moment and so accomplished! Just spending the last 20 minutes of class working on this project truly made me feel amazing, and it reminded me that whenever I get in a place of stress, all I need is 20 minutes… and so do you!
Whenever you begin to feel like the world is crashing down, just reserve 20 minutes for yourself to do something that makes you feel amazing. Whether that is writing music, painting, or even just taking a shower (my favorite thing to do), set a timer and DO IT! Self-care is so important and something we tend to forget. So go write in your planner when you could use 20 minutes to relax, and make that time your own!