Taking a Break to Restore Focus

A Bridge With A View

If you need a break take it. Don't apologize for it, just do it. That's exactly what I've been doing for the past couple of months. I hadn't lost my interest in writing this blog, I continued to work on a couple of personal side projects, but I needed some time away from the daily or weekly schedule of the blogosphere.

I couldn't take a break from my day job - you've got to pay the bills - so I took  a break from the things I could. There was just a whole lot of pressure being applied from so many different angles, something had to give.

We've all been there, you're at the point where you really don't think you can handle anything else. Not one more little thing can go wrong. And then it does. You can crack under the pressure, or you can figure out how to deal. For myself, I had to reduce my commitments in certain areas or face the prospect of my head exploding! Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it certainly felt like a possibility at times.

I needed to take time away from everything I could to clear my head. So what did I do to find that solitude I was looking for? I began a daily bike riding regime. I'd ride for an hour or two along the canal by my house. Just me and my thoughts. How cathartic!

Resting For The Next Stretch

I discovered a whole system of trails that paralleled the canal I didn't even know existed. Imagine that? I'd lived in the area most of my life, but didn't even know about these beautiful trails that were right under my nose.

This really made me stop and think. How much do we miss every day that's right in front of us because we're too busy with the stress of our daily lives? I came to realize what I needed was not a break from anything and everything for a small time period, but a daily break. Time for myself to recharge every day.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. That's what I've learned in the last couple of months. So I'm going to continue my daily bike rides, and in the winter months? Who knows, maybe 
I'll take up cross country skiing? Maybe I'll just bundle up and go for long walks in the snow. What I do know is that my daily adventures in solitude are now a permanent part of my life. How do you keep your mental edge? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.