Destressing Activities
Sydney Corley '22 Staff Writer
My Favorite De-Stressing Activities
Over the nearly two year COVID quarantine, I’m going to venture a guess that we all had extra time where we didn’t know what to do. Maybe family walks became a staple in your household or you took the time to cook different recipes from unfamiliar parts of the world. I managed to find a few activities that not only filled my time, but allowed me to relax and enjoy what I was doing. I’ve now implemented these activities into my weekly life, still finding time to complete them even a year after quarantine was lifted. Each activity is rated on a scale of how relaxing it is in terms of taking a nap, from a 15 minute rest to a 5 hour “nap” that is basically a full night sleep. Spoiler: none of the so-called relaxing activities I’m recommending will score the lowly 15 minute nap.
Baking (equivalent to a 4 hour nap)
Who doesn’t love a good sugary treat? Whether it’s cookies, brownies, pies or cakes, baking has a way of letting me zone out and focus on something simple: measuring ingredients. Plus, being able to eat my delicious creation at the end has its perks. Baking doesn’t just have to be for special occasions, you can make treats for your family or even friends. I especially enjoy baking kitchen sink cookies as you can add anything your heart desires to them and the cookies can be catered to any event. Click here for my favorite kitchen sink cookie recipe.
Painting: (equivalent to a 5 hour nap)
While my artistic skill set begins and ends with a stick figure man, even as an inexperienced painter, art manages to fill me with joy. My first step in my painting journey was to accept that I wouldn’t be painting the Mona Lisa, rather something along the lines of a 1st
grade art project. My second step was to find a canvas with pre-filled
designs, rendering my lack of an artistic skill set irrelevant. My favorite
things to paint have been 16” x 20” paint by numbers off of Amazon
(an example linked here.) All you have to do is paint the numbered
color in the corresponding numbered space. Of course, if you’re a bit
more talented than I am, you can paint on a blank canvas like Long
Reach High School senior Kelly Song does. In addition to being relaxing,
Song points out that your paintings can be gifts for others as “it’s nice
seeing how happy people are to get a painting.”
Crocheting: (equivalent to a 1.5 hour nap)
I’m not really sure why my de-stressing activities revolve around
art as I’ve already stated how artistically incapable I am, but they
do. My crocheting backstory started with scrolling
through pinterest one day. I kept seeing multicolored, patterned,
chunky crocheted cardigans. I proceeded to shop online for a pre-made
crocheted cardigan but people charge an absurd amount of money for them. This led to my ingenious idea to crochet myself a cardigan. I ended up completing this project and learned that crocheting is actually a pretty relaxing activity. At first it made me want to rip my hair out as I kept messing up, but eventually I learned how to do the basics and now use crocheting as a time to zone out of my daily worries, something Howard High School senior Maggie Krieg relates to as “[crocheting] is a healthy way to release the stress.” Let myself and Krieg be the people convincing you to drive to Michaels (or get your mom to drive you), pick up a crocheting hook and a few rolls of yarn, and start your first crocheting project.
Walking: (equivalent to a 3 hour nap)
I hate running with my whole heart, but walking I can get on board with. Listen to your favorite playlist, zone out, and the next time you look at your watch it’s been an hour. Walking is so versatile, too. Walk at the pace of a dad trying to make his flight on time, or walk at the pace of an elderly woman trying to get her exercise in; the choice is yours. Personally, I love walking at night (in the safety of my own neighborhood obviously.) The climate is typically less humid, cars aren’t as loud, and no one is around. If you decide to take a walk at night, don’t hold me responsible for the small chance a creep comes out of the shadows (this is why you walk in your own neighborhood.)
Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid: (equivalent to a 6 hour nap …breaks the scale because it’s simply so relaxing)
I’m not ashamed to admit it, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is entertaining. Yes, I am 17 years old, but it’s so easy to comprehend and even makes me chuckle. If you’re looking to add new vocabulary to your list, this series clearly isn’t for that. However, if you’ve had a long stressful day, there’s nothing wrong with reading a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book at night. Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is a literary genius in my eyes.
Hopefully one of the recommended activities calls to you and invites itself into your new weekly routine. In regards to the cost of each activity, walking is the most inexpensive and crocheting is likely the most expensive activity. Baking is closer to the inexpensive side with reading and paint by numbers somewhere in between. If you decide to try out a paint by numbers, surprisingly you can get them for $12, which shocked me (I also have no concept of price). Pick an activity and enjoy!
Over the nearly two year COVID quarantine, I’m going to venture a guess that we all had extra time where we didn’t know what to do. Maybe family walks became a staple in your household or you took the time to cook different recipes from unfamiliar parts of the world. I managed to find a few activities that not only filled my time, but allowed me to relax and enjoy what I was doing. I’ve now implemented these activities into my weekly life, still finding time to complete them even a year after quarantine was lifted. Each activity is rated on a scale of how relaxing it is in terms of taking a nap, from a 15 minute rest to a 5 hour “nap” that is basically a full night sleep. Spoiler: none of the so-called relaxing activities I’m recommending will score the lowly 15 minute nap.
Baking (equivalent to a 4 hour nap)
Who doesn’t love a good sugary treat? Whether it’s cookies, brownies, pies or cakes, baking has a way of letting me zone out and focus on something simple: measuring ingredients. Plus, being able to eat my delicious creation at the end has its perks. Baking doesn’t just have to be for special occasions, you can make treats for your family or even friends. I especially enjoy baking kitchen sink cookies as you can add anything your heart desires to them and the cookies can be catered to any event. Click here for my favorite kitchen sink cookie recipe.
Painting: (equivalent to a 5 hour nap)
While my artistic skill set begins and ends with a stick figure man, even as an inexperienced painter, art manages to fill me with joy. My first step in my painting journey was to accept that I wouldn’t be painting the Mona Lisa, rather something along the lines of a 1st
grade art project. My second step was to find a canvas with pre-filled
designs, rendering my lack of an artistic skill set irrelevant. My favorite
things to paint have been 16” x 20” paint by numbers off of Amazon
(an example linked here.) All you have to do is paint the numbered
color in the corresponding numbered space. Of course, if you’re a bit
more talented than I am, you can paint on a blank canvas like Long
Reach High School senior Kelly Song does. In addition to being relaxing,
Song points out that your paintings can be gifts for others as “it’s nice
seeing how happy people are to get a painting.”
Crocheting: (equivalent to a 1.5 hour nap)
I’m not really sure why my de-stressing activities revolve around
art as I’ve already stated how artistically incapable I am, but they
do. My crocheting backstory started with scrolling
through pinterest one day. I kept seeing multicolored, patterned,
chunky crocheted cardigans. I proceeded to shop online for a pre-made
crocheted cardigan but people charge an absurd amount of money for them. This led to my ingenious idea to crochet myself a cardigan. I ended up completing this project and learned that crocheting is actually a pretty relaxing activity. At first it made me want to rip my hair out as I kept messing up, but eventually I learned how to do the basics and now use crocheting as a time to zone out of my daily worries, something Howard High School senior Maggie Krieg relates to as “[crocheting] is a healthy way to release the stress.” Let myself and Krieg be the people convincing you to drive to Michaels (or get your mom to drive you), pick up a crocheting hook and a few rolls of yarn, and start your first crocheting project.
Walking: (equivalent to a 3 hour nap)
I hate running with my whole heart, but walking I can get on board with. Listen to your favorite playlist, zone out, and the next time you look at your watch it’s been an hour. Walking is so versatile, too. Walk at the pace of a dad trying to make his flight on time, or walk at the pace of an elderly woman trying to get her exercise in; the choice is yours. Personally, I love walking at night (in the safety of my own neighborhood obviously.) The climate is typically less humid, cars aren’t as loud, and no one is around. If you decide to take a walk at night, don’t hold me responsible for the small chance a creep comes out of the shadows (this is why you walk in your own neighborhood.)
Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid: (equivalent to a 6 hour nap …breaks the scale because it’s simply so relaxing)
I’m not ashamed to admit it, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is entertaining. Yes, I am 17 years old, but it’s so easy to comprehend and even makes me chuckle. If you’re looking to add new vocabulary to your list, this series clearly isn’t for that. However, if you’ve had a long stressful day, there’s nothing wrong with reading a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book at night. Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is a literary genius in my eyes.
Hopefully one of the recommended activities calls to you and invites itself into your new weekly routine. In regards to the cost of each activity, walking is the most inexpensive and crocheting is likely the most expensive activity. Baking is closer to the inexpensive side with reading and paint by numbers somewhere in between. If you decide to try out a paint by numbers, surprisingly you can get them for $12, which shocked me (I also have no concept of price). Pick an activity and enjoy!