PowerHouseCreatives Contest | Stress Alert.. What stresses me out and How do I explode !

I like the topic for this week's #powerhousecreatives contest. It's all about STRESS !!

So, what stresses me out 🤔

I think I'm pretty much the same as everyone else; money, love, health, parents, menopause, kids health, kids education, kids education fund and more kids stress topics... The list just doesn't end but then again, some causes less stress than others and at certain moment of time, some weighs more than the other. At the end, it's how we manage the stress.


Do I look like this when I'm stressed?

How do I cope with stress ?

Now, you need to understand that we all manage stress differently and overtime the approach has to change because our mind and body became complacent with the current method and somehow or rather, it evolves itself into something more. At this moment, a new strategy to counteract our stress must come to light. You may and may not agree with me, but from my experience, it's absolutely true.

In my years of managing stress, I've moved from one strategy to another. Sometimes using more than one at the same time if necessary. And I know it's a method because I don't do these things all the time.

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Photo by Les Triconautes on Unsplash

Method #1 - Knitting
Oh yes, I went through a phase of time, when my fingers itched tremendously, literally speaking. I wasn't sure how I got involved with knitting but it was a need; some form of fulfilment that I needed. I started going to the embroidery shop near my home almost every other week, buying different sizes of knitting needles to different texture and colours of yarn and then going online to learn how to cast on, knit, purl and cast off. I was a beginner at this, never having done this before. But soon, I learned how to knit a scarf. Not my best work, but I was at it for maybe a couple of months and then I dropped it. Yeap ! This was after me spending a whole lot of money on the tools. I still have those beautiful coloured yarns at home, some are even dual colours.

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Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Method #2 - Baking specifically bread
Oh yes, this was another stress reliever for me; my husband and kids benefited from it the most. It was a crazed moment that I suddenly wanted homemade bread instead of buying those Gardenia ones from the store. I still wasn't sure how I got around to this but it just happened. I already had a Panasonic Convection Oven which is great for baking, but I needed something more - A Bread Maker ! The baking store, Bake with Yen was my most frequent store to go, to be precise every weekend, sometimes three times a week. I had packs of bread flour; white blended to wholemeal to rye flour. I even bought additional bread pans and large packs of yeast; oh yes, I still have a pack of it in my freezer. If kept in the freezer, it can lasts for a long time. Let me just say that having one Bread Maker wasn't enough, I had to buy another one; Morphy Richard brand, now having said that the first bread maker I had was from Tesco so it started to give way...

What do you expect from a dirt cheap bread maker ?!

This whole de-stress phase lasted much longer, maybe more than 6 months. After that, into the store it went. I still do occasionally take it out when the kids want to have pizza. It's so much more easier to use the bread maker to make the dough rather than my fingers.

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Photo by S. Laiba Ali on Unsplash

Method #3 - Gardening specifically herb plants
Alright, this might be worst since my kids gave me a nickname for it. "Eeee.... Mommy got Floweritis !!" What is Floweritis ? I have absolutely no idea, that came from my youngest son when he was about 4 or 5 years old. I have to admit I was a fanatic during this period. My trips to the nursery was close to 3 times a week and is about 20km away from my home. My garden was filled with pots and planter boxes of herb plants; basil, mint, lavender, coriander, oregano, dill and parsley.

I would occasionally get several flower potted plants to create some colours in my garden. And when I say several, it's like 10 pots of flowers, ranging from small to larger ones. So, back to the herb plants... it was getting so out of hand because I started to grow these herbs from the cuttings, not to mention the fertilisers that I would give weekly. I recall spending hours on weekends just working on these plants. I was outdoors so often that my neighbours noticed my overly obsession in gardening. Just like any other de-stress, there's a build up and then it's peak and eventually a downhill. But, I do think this was the most extreme stress reliever I ever had.

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Whenever I see a garden like this, it reminds me of my obsession

Now, while we're talking about how to manage our stress, I also tend to think that all this could have been a period of distraction for me or some form of obsession or even an early stage of mid life crisis. Something that lifted me up for a certain time and then, when I'm done with it, out the door it goes.

No regrets whatsoever, I had a fantastic time with each one of them... To be honest, there is more 😆 However, the method we choose to manage our stress, ultimately, it must be something that makes us 😍. If it doesn't, then change and find something else. Oh yes, 1 lesson learnt, it's indeed 🤑 trying to manage stress and does burns a hole in my pocket 😔

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Definitely have found different ways to deal with stress over time, different stages in ones life sends us into exploring different measures.

Well done expressing your ideas for the contest and good luck.

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