One of the greatest remedies to heightened stress is free and exceptionally easy to implement. Scientific studies have proven its effectiveness and it doesn’t take too long to reap its benefits. Want to know what it is?
It’s DISTRACTION. Often we spend too much time in our own company – brewing and bubbling over events from our lives and work. We can spend hours planning a row or a whole day repeatedly going over what has upset us so much. Sometimes the company we keep ferments our anger or fans the flames of over-analysis and faulty theories.
Getting out and about (whether we feel like it or not) presents us with opportunities to switch the topics governing our minds. Changing company or talking about other things help you rise from the doom and gloom. It’s not that we should pretend that annoying things don’t happen. But two questions that are very relevant are- how annoyed do you want to be? And for how long do you want to stay annoyed? Distraction is free and easy to access. Try it!
1. Arrange to meet some friends who you haven’t met in a while.
2. Visit a sick, elderly or lonely neighbour.
3. Join a club, society or community group.
4. Return to a long forgotten hobby. Bring the guitar down from the attic, tackle your garden or dust down the golf clubs!
5. Start on a new hobby or skill. Pay for all the lessons in advance to ensure you’ll complete the course.
(c) Shane Martin
TWO PUBLIC SHOWS:TICKETS SELLING FAST
CASTLEBLAYNEY: Saturday May 25th 8pm Iontas Theatre
Tickets €20 now on sale on this link
SLIGO: Saturday June 8th 8pm
Hawk’s Well Theatre Tickets €20 (plus €1 renovation fee) now on sale on this link