Heat Palaver
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.
Therapeutic Typing
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.
Cinematic Escape
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.
Gym Therapy
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.
Loved Ones and Music
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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Very good destressers mate! Love it. I must say almost all of it is in my toolkit too, and for the same reason you gave. Films can be serials too or just good youtube shows, but I think it is in the same vein. Only thing I would add to your list in my case, is board games and chess; and reading either books, ebooks, or listening to audio books.
It has been a long time since I visited monkey type but I saw the picture and I just had to visit it :D I am still behind you but alright. My consistency goes for a toss when numbers are added in :(
Cheers for a fellow #dreemerforlife
Something you may find interesting about me is that I actually play chess a lot. Or I used to. It always helped me escape...
I saw you in one of our Hive Chess tourneys. How about a few matches on Lichess?
74 WPM? You're pretty fast, Brij! And no, it's not a competition. 😁 I'm glad to know that I have peeps who share in the joy I find in typing. Truth is, I probably hover around 40 WPM when I'm making posts. I have to think at the same time, you know.
Yes, I do love chess. At one time I had a dream that I would understand it beautifully, but that was dropped years ago, due to both lack of talent and lack of time :) However, this new resurgence of chess on social media has helped me understand the games better, content from agadmator, ChessBase India and gothamchess etc. has made some things clearer :) Still a novice as you can see from my play in the tournaments :)
My lichess user id is brijwhiz. Let's catch up there for sure.
About my speed, that's close to my peak currently, not my average. My average for monkey type is around 60-66 I think. My biggest mistake when it is just characters is getting the letters swapped around in my haste :)
normal writing is slower when punctuations and numbers come into play.
But touch typing has been like finding an entirely new skill or weapon in a video game. It unlocks so much of our potential, letting our hands be the extension of our minds.
Cheers!
Yes. Agadmator and Gothamchess. They're my favourite YouTube chess channels.
brijwhiz, eh? We should play one of these days.
Punctuations stopped being an issue for me when I started using typingtest.com to practice. What I'm trying to master now are numbers and some special characters. I haven't taken much time to practice in a long while, though.
I have hope I'll see your posts about touch typing or just about anything relating to your digital lifestyle soon.
That constant electricity made a question ask myself a question... where is Olujay staying presently ? 😂😂
Watching movies also help me relife stress a lot. I started a new series last week, it's an old movie though; The Originals.
Which series are you planning to start?
My brother, I was only daydreaming o
The Originals? I actually haven't watched that series yet.
I am currently watching Dead Boy Detectives on Netflix.
It's the best way to cope with stress: doing motivating things like what you do. I applaud your determination and congratulate you on your progress in typing.
Music is a cure for the soul. Try listening to Jazz and classical music as well.
#dreemerforlife
You're kind, nanixxx. And I'm glad to see you stop by.
I'm actually fascinated that you listen to jazz and classical. Do you play musical instruments or something?
This is quite an interesting read! You have so many de-stressants that work for you. I don't go to the gym but I love taking walks, skipping and jumping Jacks. Reading, music and good films also work wonders for me. And I am not forgetting about having enough rest, haha 😆.
#dreemerforlife
You have really nice de-stressants. I know reading does a lot for one, but it's often a challenge for me to not be distracted by other things. You get?
What is Olujay without binge watching movies, 🤣🤣. The intense heat will make enter the freezer, for those who have power supply. You sure do have good de-stressing tips.
#dreemerforlife
😂 I watch a lot of films o
Interestingly, it's been a little cooler these days. I don't even want to know how, but I like it like that.
I think you have a good stress reducing technique. I might just steal some of your ideas.
#dreemerforlife
Steal away! It's a de-stressant, after all.
Oh Oga Jay also Gym,
That's a nice one, we have a machi man in the making 😂😂
Jay is not looking to become macho, sir. Lol. No carry am where him no know.
I enjoyed reading this from start to finish. It was relaxing.
I agree having an activity you do just to unwind from the stress of the day or to relax is really important. I remember being so stressed sometimes and not having anything to do about it. It was terrible. It even affected my day.
Therapeutic activities like watching a movie, reading a book, writing, taking a walk, hanging out with friends are ways I also relax.
Nice, bro. What book are you reading now? I know you're done with the story about Shalewa.
Yes. After Unbroken, which is Shalewa's story. I went to Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, an African literature classic. And now I am reading a book called Martin Luther King Jr on Leadership.
Reading has been a good escape for me recently.
So you're done with Things Fall Apart now?
I love to sleep and listen to music when I am stressed. It just automatically cools me down. I watch movies too but I end up feeling sleepy halfway lol
A lot of people talk about gym therapy. I think I have to try it someday
If you ever try gym therapy, you may turn out to love it as it helps induce sleep faster. And I imagine you love a good rest sleeping.
I was like good for you not until I saw the next line 🤦
There's God
Got you! 😁
Yeah you did 😂
My number one “de-stressants” has to be sleeping. Some people struggle with finding sleep but I’m not anywhere part of them, the moment I lay down, off I go and then I wake up feeling great.
And guyyyy, the heat lately is terrible, it makes everything so tiring really, thank God for rechargeable fans at least because if you rely on Nepa, just lol.
No be you?? Ama wey I sabi! 😂
But I like that actually, you no dey use your self-care play. You no like stress.
See ehn. I might as well just go buy myself that fan of yours. Heat rash has demolished my neck. Lol.
😂😂
It is well o
God help us