DIY Activities: Occupying Your Time and Having Fun

DIY Activities: Occupying Your Time and Having Fun

A Guest Written Blog by: Kristin Wells

Military wives lead stressful lives. Their husbands are overseas doing a dangerous job and their loved ones constantly wonder about the well being of their men. While it's probably impossible not to worry, it's important to try and relieve the pressure as often as possible. Sitting around and fretting all the time is a good way to experience an emotional meltdown. This will be bad for the wife, and also for her husband who will become worried when he calls home and talks to a crying bride. Thankfully, there are fun and productive ways to take your mind off the stress. One of the easiest and most creative options is composing fiction.

Anyone can write, regardless of their talent level. All you need is a notebook of lined paper and a package of pens or in today’s time it may be more appropriate to say a computer. If you're going to write fiction, try to clear your mind and avoid making too big a deal out of it. After all, you don't want it to be something that adds to your stress. Tell a story the way you'd want to be told one. Think of a book you'd like to read that has not yet been written, then start writing it. Let your imagination flow and see where it leads!

Worrying too much about the technical quality of your work will stop you in your tracks. Write for yourself and put the possible opinions of others out of your head. The great thing about fiction is that it doesn't require any kind of research. Simply write down whatever comes to you. The more you write, the more you'll find your hurtful emotions spilling onto the page, which can be therapeutic. In fact, according to the Pennebaker paradigm, those who write about traumatic experiences show a strengthening of their immune system and significant increases in psychological well-being. It not only decreases depression as well, but helps when stricken with diseases like Mesothelioma.

Another good trick for writing fiction is to write the way that you'd tell the story if you were talking to someone. Grammar and punctuation should be the least of your concerns. Remember that first drafts are allowed to be messy and scattered. Writing a novel or a collection of short stories will help take your mind off the stress of not being near your husband, and will bring the joy of pure artistic creation.

The first and only rule of writing fiction is to have a good time. Let your mind say what it needs to say and document it on paper. I think that many people today never give it a try because they may think it can turn into an arduous task negating your initial goal in the first place. No matter how much time you have on your hands or how creative you may think you are, we’re all natural born writers!

Kristin Wells




I would like to thank Kristin for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share her ideas with us. I hope she is able to come back and guest write again.