Life is full of ups and downs. In some people’s cases it’s full of nothing but downs. But many people end up wallowing in their problems when they can’t solve them. Some can be solved quickly, some take time to resolve and some are just a chronic way of life. This can sometimes lead to bad mental and physical health. Stress is horrendous for one’s mental and physical state because it can result in people picking up viruses more easily.
It’s for this reason everyone needs to find a way to take themselves away from their problems, even if it’s temporary. One celebrity claims that her go-to solution is to play computer games. As soon as she starts playing, to her it’s as if she is in a different place. I found that a bit odd because if you think about it, aren’t actors in a different world on a daily basis anyway? All their lives they are dressing up and playing make-believe in a world that doesn’t exist. As part of their job, I think they are already in a different reality.
What she does to get away from it all, goes against every advice given by doctors, that screen time is very bad for one’s health in every possible way. But the principle of what she says is not wrong. Everyone needs to get away, even if it’s metaphorically. Not everyone can afford a holiday to a destination all the time. Problems persist and so the getaway option needs to be sustainable.
Some people, like the celebrity, play computer games. Others like to read books and if the books are well written, you can practically immerse yourself in a different world. When I was in my teens and twenties I’d read a lot of books, and it was a different world. In those days, of course, I read not to get away from life, which had just started, but it was a pastime we all engaged in because we didn’t have our own personal phones.
But not everyone is a bookworm. Many people take up sport and personal training at the gym where they can meet like-minded people. If you’re not into exercise, there’s plenty to take you away from your troubles. How about improving yourself by learning something? There are hundreds of free courses being offered online by a European university that has a policy of offering free education to anyone anywhere in the world and many of its courses lead to degrees. Don’t forget the two keywords, free and degree.
But you might be like me and not have the energy and patients to study for another degree, especially if you’re older. In this case, your best bet is to take up a hobby. Think about what you enjoyed doing as a child and take it up again. Arts and crafts are always your best bet. There are plenty of places to learn for a nominal fee and if you go to YouTube, there are hundreds of creators, like me, providing tutorials and how-to videos for absolutely no cost to you at all.
But of course, you do need to pick something that doesn’t take up too much space at home. If it does, you might find it burdensome to take it out and then put things out of the way when you finish. Doing that every time you want to get away is actually counterproductive and likely to be another problem you encounter to get away from your existing problems.
But I do want to say one thing though. Yes, people say do things to take your mind off your troubles.
To be honest, I give all the above advice but I’m the worst at being able to do it successfully. I find that if there is a problem, getting away from it temporarily doesn’t solve the problem. It’s sitting there waiting for me when I ‘come back to reality’. I also find that I cannot take my mind off a problem and immerse myself in something else. That something else I’m doing suffers and I often begin associating that something I enjoy with the bad stuff that’s happening to me or around me.
Birjees Hussain