De-stressing with Bente (#14)

Learning to relax again: how do you manage to do that? Bente (23) is a freelance journalist and works as an online editor at Flow. Having experienced a near-burn-out, she’s finding her way to a life with less stress. And every Friday, she takes us with her on her journey to get there.

Even though it sounds fairly old-fashioned, I regularly have a ‘Granny Day’ and can easily be pleased with a simple ball of wool. However, I have recently been wanting to also have a pen friend.

I prefer to call it a letter buddy: someone with whom you only communicate via a fully-written piece of paper in an envelope. Ever since I was a kid, it has seemed like a really fun thing to do: the excitement of such a letter lying in wait for you in the postbox. I sometimes write a card or a short note to someone, but it rarely goes further than that.

Lately, however, something has started to gnaw at me. I’ve noticed that the contact with the people around me is getting more and more superficial. We occasionally tag each other on Facebook and like our photos on Instagram, but it doesn’t lead to a real conversation. I still regularly see good friends, but most communication is now via a screen. Which I think is such a shame.