STRESS MANAGEMENT

Ask any middle aged working individual nowadays and they will tell you their number one problem. STRESS.

Now stress as defined by Thesaurus is pressure, strain, anxiety, tension, etc….

Since stress is the number one factor affecting most of the working individuals today, it's not farfetched that more and more are seeking solutions to reduce if not remove stress. Depending on the marketing strategy , it comes in every unimaginable shapes and forms. Drugs is number one(..have you noticed how stress tabs flooded the counters lately?...),then comes seminars/ lectures and the use of professional help .They are just among the more popular choices. Stress management has become a household term which was alien then during the 60’s, 70’s and even during the early eighties.

I myself was not spared from this stress malady. But unlike most of the other “ stressed “ individuals, I have my own way of managing or reducing stress. Ukay ukay.

Yup!, the popular craze among working housewives and even lady executives living in urban areas and even in some rural towns in the provinces. I consider it as a good stress reducing activity. Ask any Ukay ukay buff and they will nod in agreement .

You cannot explain the feeling whenever a new bundle of items is being opened. The feeling of excitement and smell of the aroma coming from newly opened package is beyond compare.

Now, ukay ukay is also a very good exercise. You need to walk from one stall to another. Or if you are like our Accountant , she doesn’t mind walking from one ukay ukay mall to another just to satisfy her curiosity and find what she is not looking for. The element of surprise is always there. You seemed to find something every time you search for another thing. That’s the exciting part, finding something you are not suppose to find. Besides, exercise is good for the heart and it relieves tension.

It stimulates your brain. You have to take note and memorize the price of an item in comparison to the price of one similar item from the other stall. It enhances your mathematical mind since you will have to compute mentally how much discount you are going to have if you buy it in bulk. You can’t explain the feeling of satisfaction every time you won on the bargaining battle.

As you move from one stall to another, you’ll be surprised when you see those familiar brands which you see worn only by celebrities in movies and in TV.

Your reasoning ability ,your sense of logic and alertness if the owner showed some weakness are fully utilized. Aside from your patience are going to be tested , your acting career will also be developed since you have to pretend not interested that much in an item even though deep inside it is the otherwise.The art of pakipot.

These activities relieve you of your worries and aches whenever you are in an UKAY UKAY hunting mode. Nothing beats the feeling of buying a branded item at a price almost 90 percent lower than it’s original price.

For some lucky souls, they even got the luck to find such new, unworn, and branded items yet for some unknown reasons found it’s way to the ukay ukay territory. They usually got it at a very bargain price.

But mind you, very few are involved in this activity for business' sake. It’s just the fad, the feeling, the thrill that keep’s them going whenever they find something interesting and worth wearing for.

Oh!!! Whattaday.Gotta leave the ofice and find relief for my tension......

Stress management,,anyone?