A lesson from Winston Churchill on how change is the key to de-stress and unwind.
Winston Churchill served as the prime minister of the UK for about nine years. He is considered to be one of the greatest leaders that this world has ever seen. What most people don’t know is that he took up painting as a hobby to help him deal with depression and the stress from his responsibilities.
Winston Churchill wrote about painting and hobbies and the essential nature they have in helping us to be more happy and forget about the things that weigh us down.
“Many remedies are suggested for the avoidance of worry and mental overstrain by persons who, over prolonged periods, have to bear exceptional responsibilities and discharge duties upon a very large scale. Some advise exercise, and others, repose. Some counsel travel, and others, retreat. Some praise solitude, and others, gaiety. No doubt all these may play their part according to the individual temperament. But the element which is constant and common in all of them is Change.
Change is the master key. A man can wear out a particular part of his mind by continually using it and tiring it, just in the same way as he can wear out the elbows of his coat. There is, however, this difference between the living cells of the brain and inanimate articles: one cannot mend the frayed elbows of a coat by rubbing the sleeves or shoulders; but the tired parts of the mind can be rested and strengthened, not merely by rest, but by using other parts. It is not enough merely to switch off the lights which play upon the main and ordinary field of interest; a new field of interest must be illuminated. It is no use saying to the tired ‘mental muscles’ — if one may coin such an expression — I will give you a good rest,’ ‘I will go for a long walk,’ or ‘I will lie down and think of nothing.’ The mind keeps busy just the same. If it has been weighing and measuring, it goes on weighing and measuring. If it has been worrying, it goes on worrying. It is only when new cells are called into activity, when new stars become the lords of the ascendant, that relief, repose, refreshment are afforded.”
Winston explains that in order for us to recover and really relax from our labors one cannot simply forget about the things that weigh us down or hope that if we lye down these things will disappear from our mind. We must replace what is on our mind with something else. We must occupy our minds by using it to do other things. For Winston, this was done through painting. It was painting that gave him the escape that he needed from the weighty matters of life.
He later concluded:
“I consider myself very lucky that late in life I have been able to develop this new taste and pastime. Painting came to my rescue in a most trying time”
For those of you who think you can’t start now because your too old or that the only thing you would want to try at you have no skill at whatsoever, consider this….Winston Churchill was 40 years old when he started painting. He was embarrassed by how awful he thought his paintings were. He was self taught. He didn’t have a special instructor. This was his personal time and his ME time. He did it because he loved it even though he was far from the best.
Overtime he developed his skill and became quite good. Whats important here is that he actually did it. Don’t try to come up with an excuse for why you shouldn't try something. Jump in, submit yourself to the learning process and use your mind to develop a new skill and talent. It is when we have to focus and use our minds to improve on something or create something that our mind forgets about the other things that weigh us down.
If you want to be more happy or find a way to relax, find a hobby. Find something that when you do it, its easy to lose track of time. Pick something that you can develop overtime and get better at doing. Something that you can really immerse yourself in and strive to be great at.
I have done this myself and it has made all the difference.
