Mind Candy

Written for https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/category/sunday-poser/

How do you cope with stress? What is your mind candy that makes you forget the cause of stress?

How do I cope with stress? Mind candy is a brilliant way to describe it, although living in the UK; can I replace it with sweets? Writing has always been my go to when dealing with stress. When you are writing a novel or writing on your blog, it heaps on the pressure because it is more like a job than something we do for fun.

I have games on my phone; Pokemon Go, Solitair, and a fish game. I also like painting by numbers. I’m not creative in art. My attempts at drawing end in what looks like a five-year-old have picked up a pencil to make a stick man. My favourite paint by number creation is one of my dog Scamp. It looks like an actual painting of him.

My favourite shows on the television always involve murder of some sort. Poirot, Miss Marple, NCIS, Death in Paradise, Rizzoli and Isles, Starsky and Hutch, Sherlock, Grim, FBI, My Life is Murder, Midsummer Murder, and many, many more. I love watching them, thinking about who the culprit is. Normally it is the quiet, little old lady in the corner, or the most unlikely suspect you can think of.

Admitting to be stressed is difficult because you think you are the only one. That is not true. Most of us can be kind towards others, but ourselves; it is more difficult. Today I am going to my Grandson’s sixteenth birthday. Spending time with family is a great way to ground yourself in a world that can be baffling. I look forward to seeing my brother during the Christmas period.

I have never thought of it as mind candy, but it gives sweetness to our life. Please don’t think you are ever alone in having stress. We all have a persona we show to the people around us. What makes me relaxed, might not be the same for others, but mostly it works for me.