So you girls (and guys) might have read Part I of how I like to unwind. And here's Part II. Again, I'm not claiming originality for these ideas, but it's what works for me. I'd like to think that doing all these will somehow help my demented nerves.
For Part II, here's the countdown to the Top 5 of the list.
5. Engage a masseur / DIY home facial
I kid you not. Ok, maybe not bring a masseur home (although, why not? *grin*) but go for a massage. You get the idea. I remember having aching shoulders one time covering a conference (thanks to kitchen-sink handbag on right shoulder and laptop bag on left shoulder), only to run into a Thai masseuse. God bless her. (It was AT the conference. She was promoting Thai massage!) Five minutes into fiddling with the knots in my shoulders and voila - happy shoulders. I was literally begging for more. Alternatively, give yourself a DIY home facial. Your face, and wallet will thank you for it. And so will your frazzled nerves.
4. Get a pet
Everyone knows this. Pets bring your blood pressure down, your stress-level down etc. They also brings your house down. However, if you're like me and it's not possible to GET one right now, then you'll have to beg, borrow or steal. In my case, it would be Kahani's two chubby, cuddly beagles. I run over to her place every now and then not only to play with her makeup hoard, but also to get cuddly cuddly with her dogs. On a serious note though, according to Kahani, looking oh-too-cute is hard work for 'em beagles. Their hair's turning grey.
3. Write
In the days before ideas #2 and #1 were feasible, this was the option I frequently opted for. Mom won't let me go for that weekend party? Write about it. I once even wrote a piece called "The Caged Bird Died". Oh well. That was then. But keeping a diary allowed me a healthy arena to vent my frustrations, and it also developed my skills to channel my thoughts and emotions through writing. Any wonder then that I keep a blog and write for a living?
2. Retail therapy
Ladies, you hear me! Retail therapy. After weeks (or days) of work, work and work, it's time to hit the malls! I personally believe in treating myself every now and then as a reward for slaving away, be it books, skincare, makeup, clothes, shoes or food. Or bags. Don't forget them bags. What I do is I keep a list of things I need (or want) to get, and when I feel the need to do retail therapy, out comes the list. Which should ideally curb compulsive buying. Ideally. It's somehow just a comforting feeling knowing you're spending your OWN money. However, I still believe in spending reasonably, so this is not to say that you should spend to the last cent, ok? Try.
And oh, Kahani has a theory on retail therapy. She says it's our gatherer instincts kicking in. Passed on from generation upon generation of women. It's inborn, our innate trait. We feel in control when we're "gathering".
*giggles* Don't you just love Kahani? I do.
And finally, my ultimate de-frazzling technique.
1. Travelling
I make time and put aside cash every year to ensure I get to see some part of this big glorious world. Maybe I'm at that stage where I've been bitten by the travel bug, but the year's never quite complete without a trip somewhere. There's so much to see and do out there, that it just seems wrong to only stay home. I like my travels relatively free and easy. I book my flights and accommodation, and that's about it. I take note of what I want to see when I get there, but no fixed schedules for me. No thank you.
If I find a nice cosy cafe somewhere, I want to be able to go back there as many times as I can afford to. And traveling doesn't always mean expensive. When I was in Hong Kong earlier this year, I stayed in a hostel which cost about RM60 a night. And what with cheap flights these days, it definitely doesn't have to burn a hole in your pocket. So go see the world, and hopefully come back a wiser person.
With that said, next stop - February: Australia. =D
So, there you have it girls. My Top 10 Ideas to unwind. Hope it helps.
What do you do to unwind? Holler back. Would absolutely love to hear from you!
6 comments:
thanks for sharing.
My ways to unwind? one of them would be a massage!!! Have a good laugh with hubby, like literally GO CRAZY and be kid-like, NOT childish! LOL Well I could be :)
And Nail art! :) :) :)
Nikki: Oh yes. Massages are uber great. When I was in Manila for work sometime last year, I managed to sneak some time for a full body massage. It was fantastic! =)
Go child-like.. hmm.. PILLOW FIGHT!!!! *tee hee hee*
As for nail art, that's more of Kahani's thing. LOL.
Thanks for sharing dear!
C'mon ladies! Holler back!
Another vote for retail therapy (okay, maybe two votes for this) and a good massage/spa. Can't say the same about pets though. Keep one will get my stress level through the roof, I can barely look after myself!!
You left out comfort food! On those stressful days, I'll meet up with my girlfriends after work, over-order at dinner and just pig out like nobody's business. Bad for the waist line, but it works wonders. :P
RM60? That's insanely cheap! I can't imagine any accommodation in HK costing less than RM300 a night, even though crappy motels. :/
MisSmall: Oooh.. Comfort food. Yes. I eat a lot more when I'm stressed out too. But it's DEFINITELY not good for the waistline at all. =(
I likey Baskin Robbins ice-cream in Rum n Raisin and Choc Almond Fudge, and choc cookies. How bad is that?!?! 0_o
I know! Accommodation in HK is crazy expensive. But me and friends managed to get this cheapo place in Mongkok. It doesn't look great from the outside at all, but the room itself is clean and we had an attached bathroom too. Which was also very clean, and the shower was superb. For that price, it was great! =)
I so agree on all of them! Well, except for the pet bit, 'cos mine drives me nuts, which makes it worse :p
And girlfriend, I so hear you on the retail therapy. It was good ol' Mum who taught it to me, believe it or not. There was this one time, I remember, when she was really stressed out about work and stuff at home, that she grabbed me, and went shopping like mad. And came back feeling so much better :P
Tine: You have a pet that drives you nutters? What do you have? A Jack Russell terrier? LOL.
Girlfriend, your MOM taught you retail therapy??? *Sighs*
You're one lucky girl. Bet you took THAT lesson very seriously, huh? =P
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