Memoirs Q18: How do you Manage Stress and Maintain Balance in your life?

Back in the day, when I was Training Head of the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology, I would go through many iterations of training my instructors. It wasn't because I was losing them to the competition - rather they were being tapped to teach in St. Charles, Illinios. Becoming faculty to the school for Andersen Consulting - later Accenture. Natrually, they would jump to the opportunity to go to the U.S. earn in Dollars, and be part of a highly technical school training future Consultants. Simply put, it was a more positive, challenging and addictive enough that those that experienced the school alwasy wanted to go back. One wat to go back was to quit, wait for 6 months, then apply directly to St. Charles. Returning to I/ACT was not something they wanted.

Unfortunately, this seeming one-sided situation alwasy put me in the need to hire and train people - only to see them go when they were good at training already. I did not even have control with saying it couldn't be done because that project was raking in the dollars. What was worse, the other department was being recognized for the profits while mine was always affected. Sure I got to get thigns done - but I never got to experience any technology or knowledge transfer from the people who came back.

So how did I destress? For starters, I did listen to music - at times, loud enough to lose myself to the music. I read comics, or books. At times, I would go out with my office mates, but not much. By then, I was already married, so I had to get home to my wife... and later still, to my family. So enjoying the moments with the kids was a destresser of sorts. We would do a weekend staycation - enjoy the pool or simply stay in teh airconditioned room and order food.

I also had, on occasion, been part of a gaming group - the Society of Anachronists Gamers and Adventurers. We were role palying Dungeons and Dragons... unfortunately, I was unable to stay until the early hours of the morning like what otehrs did to continue the adventures. So it was also a bit frustrating. I would have some drinking sessions with my friends - mostly drinking at home.

Later, I would add caring for tropical fishes via an aquarium. This allwed me to aquascape and populate the aquarium with fishes that I would love to watch when I got home. Seeing the fishes and mini shrimps move around in a planted environment was cathartic. It wa also a form of pride that my aquariums were great to look at. I really should get back tosetting one up some time soon. We had to bring it to my brotehr-in-law's place, for lack of a place to put them in our current place.

Of course, now i don't have too mcuh pressure or stress at work these days. Going into a domestic routine that being retired does. Oh yeah, before I forget... having a dog was also a good way to destress. There was alway a nice aspect of having someone lovingly gret you when you got home. I had that when we were in Cubao, and I have one now as well.