"It’s safe to say that most of us are very familiar with hectic lives - through the traffic, public transportation, the rush amidst a sea of people, dealing with so much more in the office - it’s all just...a lot! Are we equipped to handle it all? What do we really need to sustain in this frantic lifestyle? "
by Zara Jayne Marimuthu
Your to-do list piles up. Notes and books scatter across your desk. You scurry to find necessary documents.
Clothes are lying on the floor.
Plates and cutleries are left unwashed.
Your fridge is half-empty. There’s no time for grocery shopping.
Assessments are accumulating. Dark circles form under your eyes. You run out of coffee.
Time is ticking. You can’t breathe. You need to breathe.
You stop and shut your eyes tight, hoping everything will sort itself out.
Inhale, exhale.
You repeat this a few times.
Ever experienced that spiraling madness?
I know I have. I felt like I was being pulled from every corner, filling up schedules and trying to accomplish everything I thought I could handle.
And then, it came to a point where there wasn’t purpose in what I did.
At times, I would drag myself out of bed just to fulfill the university requirements. As long as I passed the class, I told myself.
But I knew this cycle needed to stop. I couldn’t force my eyes open and live every day without any meaning. In the midst of the beehive lifestyle, I learned to get to know myself again. I discovered different ways to live each moment to its fullest capacity, no matter how big or small.
Exercise
Exercise is key, they say. I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes right about now. But I have to agree. Now, I don’t exercise as regularly as I should. It’s getting real cold, and my layers of warmth in bed seem more appealing at this time.
But I find that keeping my body active never fails to paint a smile on my face.
I don’t just look better, I feel better.
"Exercise is key, they say. I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes right about now. But I have to agree. Now, I don’t exercise as regularly as I should. It’s getting real cold, and my layers of warmth in bed seem more appealing at this time. But I find that keeping my body active never fails to paint a smile on my face. "
Being a dancer, keeping my limbs stretched and my body in shape are ideal.
But whether it’s in a gym or in a dance studio, people forget to have fun. Want to know a little secret?
I dance and prance and have the time of my life in my tiny room.
From R&B to dancehall to salsa, I turn up those tunes and let the rhythms flow through my body. I drip with sweat, my mind wanders elsewhere and my burdens somehow feel lighter.
In that moment, I am free. That’s the definition of a great workout to me.
Pencil in a Me-Day
When it comes to winding down, I make sure that at least once a week, I pencil in a Me-day - quality time by myself, for myself.
For me, studying a creative writing course can be draining creatively and mentally. Life also tends to go its own course, forgetting that I need a second to rest and rejuvenate in order to catch up. These are the times when solitude is an absolute.
"These are the times when solitude is an absolute."
Depending on my mood, and the weather, I find comfort in taking long walks in the city or away from the city. With my earphones plugged in, I meander through lanes and streets I’ve never been to.
Sometimes, I rediscover the same streets I’ve always been strolling along and happen to notice the things around me. Like how the little girl in a purple jumper skipped with so much wonder and zeal through Swanston Street or how the wind blew everyone’s hair in random directions and covered their faces, to their shock, causing me to have to try my hardest not to burst into laughter.
But there are times where I just sit by myself with sand between my toes as I watch the waves crash and curl into one another.
If you can’t find me in parks, at the beach or exploring alleyways, you’re sure to find me in cafes, with my sketchbook.
I let my pen take me from random shapes and patterns to lines and curves. It’s in the little details, like dots and swirls, that keep my mind fixated on my peace and nothing else.
I keep a journal that is scribbled with specific moments I don’t want to forget, quotes that inspire me and other sporadic blurts I just need to pen down in the moment.
I don’t know about you, but moments like these are what calm me down in the midst of storms.
Maybe you can try them or maybe you already know they don’t work for you.
"But wherever your place of solace is, remember to revel in every moment - the small, the simple, the ordinary. "
Through the seasons, growth flourishes and I know I want to be fruitful in every aspect possible. There is so much more to life than our mundane everyday routines.
By Zara Jayne Marimuthu
About the Article Contributor :
A dancer and writer, Zara Jayne Marimuthu lives for art through words and movements. Her first published work was for a local Malaysian newspaper, The Star, under the MyStarJob section in 2014 and she has written for indie and university publications in Melbourne such as The Bowen Street Press Review and RMIT’s The Catalyst. With her love for both writing and dancing, she hopes to push creative boundaries, and also inspire others through the message behind each work.
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