How our Hobby can help us cope with stress
No matter where you are in the world right now it is a very stressful time. There is a large amount of uncertainty, fear, and anger. In the US in particular the past two weeks have been trying at best. Our daily lives have been turned upside down and no one is certain when things will even out. Some of you may have noticed that I skipped This Old 40k this week. I skipped it because I was feeling very uncertain and incredibly stressed by the events in US. These feelings overwhelmed my ability to be productive.
I spent most of last weekend watching the news working my day job and not sleeping. That was until, Wednesday. On Wednesday my good friend Aaron and a long time patron of CGN asked if I wanted to hobby and chat with him. At first, I told him, no, that I did not feel up to it, but after thinking about it for a bit I realized a good night of hobbying with my friends is exactly what I needed. So, with Aaron's ok I also invited Josh and Sean onto a zoom call where we live streamed and chatted about everything but the news while painting our miniatures
This comradery and distraction were exactly what I needed to help get me out of the cycle of worry and sleepless I had been in. Our hobby and its community can be an amazing distraction and outlet to keep ourselves on an even keel. If you like me have been feeling overwhelmed now is a great time to pick up your brushes and paint some minis. For those of us who are lucky enough to have a hobby utilizing it now to combat the dismay of the world’s situation is a blessing. Lean into your hobby especially if you are stressed and do it with your friends even if it is over your favorite video chat app. \