Life is hard and unpredictable. In fact, life is so hard that everyday just walking out your front door can take tremendous courage. When the bills burn through paychecks, the relationships are failing and you just can't dodge all the potholes, literally and figuratively, and want to just cry yourself into a coma for five years, take a deep breath and try to remember things on this list to help you escape your life.
1. Read a book.
It's 2016, who reads books anymore? I do. There is no better feeling than hitting that perfect couch spot. You know, the lying down, feet up, head against a pillow kind of position. I crack open my favorite series, "The Dark Artifices: Lady Midnight." (I recommend all Cassandra Clare books, by the way.) Plus, the more you read, the less you're using electronics, which could help in the bills department.
2. Play some video games.
You are never too old or mature to play video games. Games are definitely a stress release. Games like "Overwatch" can help teamwork and strategic planning and adaptation as you overcome goals. Meanwhile, games like "Kingdom Hearts" are like a playable movie. The characters in games like this can really draw emotions from it's players. I remember being fairly sad towards an event in the game as if it happened in real life. Although video games definitely won't help in the bills department, unless you commit your life to them, they will definitely take your mind to a different world.
3. Karaoke & dance.
Bare with me on this one. Get some friends, play some music and just dance and sing however you want. I spent nights my freshman year of college (completely sober, of course), just going to YouTube and singing, or putting Just Dance videos up on the TV and dancing as if we were playing.
4. Take up boxing.
Punching helps. Get some gloves and hand wraps for protection, find a gym with a heavy bag, put on some upbeat music and then just lose yourself all over that bag. Your mind will be so focused on the bag that your worries will float away. Not to mention, you'll get a nice strength/cardio workout from it.
5. Watch your favorite movie.
I have three movies that I constantly watch whenever I feel down. "Zombieland," "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" and "Deadpool." After dying of laughter, I always feel better.
6. Clean.
There is reason behind the blasphemy I just mentioned, unless cleaning is the reason for your stress. Just put on a tank top, some old sweatpants or shorts and, very important, some music. A clean environment will make you happier and the music will make cleaning fun. Get some family or friends and just clean, paint or do something together while listening to very loud music that is sure to bother the neighbors.
7. Do anything different.
This may seem very broad, but that's the point. I can't tell you how many times I've been stressed or bored, so I spend about two hours researching something I don't know like Greek Gods, Marvel and DC characters and watching walkthroughs on videogames so I know if I want to play it myself. I've even slightly taught myself how to play the piano/keyboard. Well, I can play the right hand section, and only maybe three songs, but it's something and I completely forgot my worries while doing so.
8. Write your own stories.
Writing this, I completely disregarded anything else I had to do for the day. Put your opinions, ideas and beliefs out there, and someone will read them. You'll feel better.
