(Blog)

Due to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, my family decided to temporarily go to Poland. Even when you are safe abroad, you keep worrying about your country, family and friends who have stayed at home. Now the only way out of the tense situation is to distract yourself from the constant flow of breaking news and try to look for small joys around. That’s why I want to talk about how I reduce daily stress.

1. Hobbies

For me, painting and photography belong to relaxing things. Although it is extremely difficult to get a dose of endorphins from these heartfelt affairs, at least, I find the motivation to get out of bed and improve my skills in these areas. Of course, I don’t have any paints or canvases at the moment, but I brought a graphics tablet and a laptop with me, so digital drawing is being actively mastered. I usually draw patriotic pictures and post them on my Instagram page. These actions help me to morally support Ukrainians and so I get rid of the feeling of inaction.

As for photography, it’s even easier. One of my favorite types of photography is nature. It so happened that we live far enough from civilization, in a tiny village, so there is nothing around but forests, fields and animals. I usually take pictures of plants and birds. A dazzling discovery for me was a herd of roe deer that almost every morning come to eat something in the field right next to our house. They are quite cowardly but graceful and look great in the camera frame.

2. Volunteering

I do not mean physical presence in volunteer organizations, but online work. Every day, I disseminate important information about events in my hometown and city, thus helping volunteers raise funds for the Ukrainian Army, displaced persons and refugees abroad. I also send my drawings to the NFT charity collection, which donates to the Return Alive Foundation. I believe that every citizen of Ukraine can make a small contribution to victory, which is why by doing so I can counteract stress.

3. Plans for the future

Instead of drowning in uncertainty, I try to set goals for the future. Not necessarily for the next year, sometimes it even helps to create a list of plans for the week. Cleaning, shopping, going to the woods, doing homework for university, hobbies – the order in these daily affairs fills my life and does not allow me to despair.

In conclusion, I can say that anxiety does not go away. Since the switch for this unpleasant feeling, unfortunately, has not yet been invented, we have to cope on our own and hope for the best. If I feel that nothing is helping, I decide to take the last steps that will help 100% – hug my family or sit on a rock in the middle of the field and shout so as to scare all the birds around. I immediately feel light inside and can continue to gain strength for existence.