The Little Things That Help Us Relax

I had the chance to visit some of my college friends this past weekend. When we get together its always a great time and we try and act like were back at Wilkes University. Needless to say, we aren’t as good as we once were as evident from a lazy Sunday watching football.

The house we all stayed at was purchased by my old roommate Mark about three year ago, and he has put a lot of work into the place. He created a gorgeous fireplace with an amazing wood mantle. A lot of hard work and thought went into the creation of this heat source.

What I found interesting about the fireplace isn’t the craftsmanship, but how Mark continually tends to the fire. I wound up falling asleep on his couch right by the fireplace, and every few hours throughout the night Mark would wake up to make sure the fire was still burning.

He would re-stack the wood and add new pieces to keep the flames going. He told me he had the fire burning since Friday during the day.

I asked Mark why he did this entire process of waking up at night and taking a lot of time out his day to keep this fire burning. His answer was simple: it helps him relax. The time and process of keeping a fire keeps his head level.

I then realized I have the same quirk. A few months back I decided to buy a nice pair of real leather boots. I celebrated my first paycheck here by treating myself to these kicks. After talking to Mark I realized my little relaxing task is polishing and treating the leather on my boots.

A few nights a week I will come home and meticulously clean my Doc Marten’s to make sure they are shiny and soft. I do this because I invested some money in these boots, but it also helps me relax and take my mind off things.

Some may look at these minuscule tasks as goofy, but the process and consistency of the work puts Mark and I’s minds to rest. Do you have any small tasks you like to do to take your mind off things?