It appears we’re entering a long period where life is going to be very different from normal, with work routines disrupted, family and friends unavailable – or social gatherings requiring specific and unfamiliar rules. Under conditions like this, it’s important to make sure you know how to deal with the stress and anxiety that build up, so you have the resilience to endure the long haul back towards normality. As such, among the many other things that are vital to the health of the world, it’s important that you find new ways to relax.
Working With Your Hands
One of the greatest problems we face with life in general, not to mention the crises currently affecting the world is that we often can’t directly influence them. They are literally out of our hands.
Under these circumstances, many people find hobbies where you work with your hands to make something that’s inherently rewarding and under your control a great way to relax – there’s a reason baking became very popular as countries entered lockdown.
Baking isn’t your only option: sewing, weaving, knitting and other old fashioned skills have been enjoying a renewed surge of popularity. There are companies that will deliver all the tools and materials you need, either as a one off, to test out a new hobby or as a regular subscription to ensure you always a project in hand. Ordering a craft box for adults could be the ideal solution to the problem of stress.
Getting Outside
Some are too quick to suggest exercise as a solution to mental health problems, and that can be frustrating when you’re in distress and in need of more comprehensive help. Day to day stress, however, does respond well to time outdoors. You don’t necessarily need to commit to a formal exercise routine. Simply taking a walk in local green spaces – or even residential streets – can give you a change of perspective, confer some of the health benefits of light exercise and expose you to sunlight and fresh air.
You might also experiment with gardening. Even if don’t have a garden to dig over, starting some pots on a balcony or window-sill puts you in touch with the outside world and gives you a project to focus on that’s entirely for your own reward: you define success and failure yourself, and you get to enjoy the satisfaction of developing a new skill.
