Something which has been very close to me lately – stress.
Yes, it has become practically part of my life. So much so that once I complete this big project that I have, I’m going to feel a tad empty.
Mixed feelings, please. I totally want this project to be over because of the massive headaches it is giving me in all aspects possible. *prays that no more will come!* At the same time, it has become part of what I do! So if it goes, it is almost like losing a part of me.
It is going to be kicking off a bad habit, I think. You don’t really want it to be there – you honestly know that it does more harm than good! Then again, you also want it to be there… Because it was responsible for making you feel like you have something to do in life.
Bah.
Anyways, since as far as I could remember… I always relied on Retail Therapy to make me happy.
Gosh, I sound like a Shopoholic.
It was always just my way of making me feel like I’m getting rewarded for something. So it is a bit like a goal at the end of the day, y’know?
I could even picture a doctor in my head telling me, “To cure yourself, Geraldine, you need RETAIL THERAPY!!!“
I didn’t think there was anything really awful about it. I make myself happy, make the shop people happy… Plus, I even help stimulate the economy! 😀
In the past, I would just (literally) throw myself into a shop and start looking for things I fancy.
All this was fine & good.
Problem was, I ended buying things which I didn’t like when I wasn’t stressed anymore. It is kind of like being in a drunken stupor? You wake up with a head full of regrets. And an emptier wallet/bank account. 😦
Not cool.
My dearest boyfriend seems to realise this problem of mine & he (literally) pulls me away from the shops.
Sometimes he dangles something in front of me, just so that my eyes don’t catch sight of the shops.
-.-
I know it looks really disturbing to outsiders. But hey, gets the job done! 😀
And not to mention, I realise how much money I could save if I were just a little more rational with my spending.
So lately I have developed my own little Budget Stress Kit!!
It has been working out really well for me so far! 🙂
Like how First Aid Kits always have their own little things inside, so does my Budget Stress Kit!
1. Food!!
Honestly speaking, I think I eat more than the average girl on the street.
Which probably explains why I’m such a chubby thing. 😛
The thing is, I enjoy food!
And the thing is, you’re in Singapore! You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a good meal.
Sometimes, even some ice-cream from McDonald’s makes me delighted! 🙂
But nothing can beat my one true tummy-love…
Macaroons.
2. Games!
I was never really the gamer sort. I used to play RPG games here & there, but never really hardcore.
But I’d be the last to deny that it really does help to de-stress.
I don’t really like any games other than RPG ones. Picky, tsk.
So Mark (my gamer boyfriend) recommended that I play Maple Story.
And he let me play his Diner Dash 5!! 😀
My gamer boyfriend letting me into his gaming world…. *tears well up* I’m so touched.
His computer is like the other woman, honestly. I sometimes feel like I have to compete with that chunk of metal.
3. Want a little Instant Gratitude.
It isn’t wrong, y’know. I honestly feel that it is fine to want some instant gratification.
Of course somethings require some investment in forms of time, but why not a little something which rewards you instantly??
At least it makes you happy.
So when I saw one of my tutors put up on Facebook that some students are needed to help with some focus group discussion and participants would be rewarded with 2 movie tickets…
I immediately signed up!
Talk about cheap-o.
2 movie tickets at the newly renovated Eng Wah Cinemas!
Naturally my date is Mark. 😉
4. Enjoy your workmates!
I know this is a tad harder.
In a perfect world, we would all work with people whom we have absolutely no personality clashes with.
Alas, this is an extremely imperfect world.
I guess I’m really lucky to have the most adorable group of girls in my team! :))
We have heaps of fun together all the time!
So much so, work isn’t so bad after all. 😉
We do stupid things in class too. I just wonder how come I didn’t get scolded yet.
For one of our lessons, we had a simple exercise of designing a rough poster. We drew a bento and I wanted to draw the salad.
But everyone said my salad looks more like green sperms…. :(((
One way of acting smart.
If you are really lucky, you get a friend who does all the whacky nonsense that simply cracks you up every time!
And I’m also really blessed to have the most awesome vice-president in class I can ask for!
As president of the class, a good vice-president is really important! From what I’ve learnt. 😀
She is crazy awesome! I love her already!!
We support each other through all the madness we have to go through & we understand each other. 🙂
Coolest part is, our names both start with ‘Ger’. So sometimes people call us Double-G, or G-Force.
I personally prefer Double-G….
G-Force is…
5. Boyfriend.
Last, but certainly not the least. If I might say, the most. 🙂
He has done so much to make me happy.
On my school funfair day, I had problems from all over already. He came over to make me happy!
With my favourite brownie…
And macaroons!!
When I spent countless nights getting minimal hours of sleep & having to rush to school, he surprised me with breakfast and a drive down to school!
During nights when I had to stay up till at least 3AM in the morning, he stayed on Skype with me throughout till I got to sleep.
When I was so upset till I started crying, he was the one who held me & reminded me that I could handle all of it.
I don’t know what else I could ask for. 🙂
All my Budget Stress Kit stuff don’t cost me much, really!
So, c’mon Stress!! Give me your best shot!
The thing about stress is, it is just like any other setback in life – If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.
It wasn’t even close to killing me, but it did make me a lot stronger. 😉
Its going to get even tougher, but deep down I know everything’s going to be fine.
Life might be tough – believe me, I’ve been through more than anyone knows.
But I’m still one of the cheeriest person I know! 😀
Y’know why? Because despite all that life has torn me apart, I’ve caught sight of the beautiful parts of life which I don’t know how to describe.
Guess you just got to be there to find out! 🙂
In the meantime, stress isn’t the worst thing out there.
The worst thing out there is you giving up on yourself.
Gera Shen 