Resetting as an Individual

As a person we all have our individual needs and wants, so how do we cater to those? How does the individual inside of you break away from the stress and strains of everyday life? Hobbies, that’s how. We all have some sort of hobby or activity we enjoy. It may range from vacationing to escape all the way down to just an hour outside away from the kids and house. Either way we all need to take a break and have a mental reset.

For me I have a few different activities I enjoy doing to escape the everyday life stressors. Some of the activities involve time with the family and some involve me, myself and I. The activities I do with my family range from weekend getaways, bike riding and camping, all of which provide me with a chance to slow down and enjoy my time out.

Weekend getaways can bring stress and anxiety still, with traveling with two children to a new place, challenges are sure to arise, so this is not always a good way to get rid of stress for our family. However, camping, although challenging, allows for you to slip away for a minute. While monitoring two kids and setting up camp can be tough, it still gives you a chance to bond away from the hustle and bustle of the world, it forces the kids and adults to put down electronics and focus on the family. While camping try to enjoy activities such as hiking, biking, fishing and maintaining the camp site to give you the sense of accomplishment your mind is looking for. That instant gratitude and satisfaction feeds your mind with positive energy and allows you in the moment to take in and enjoy what you just did. Too often we are knocked down by not being able to see the outcomes of our energy, time and effort, this sort of activity gives you a chance to see your hard work come to light.

Finally, the me, myself and I activities that I prefer to do when I get some much needed time to myself. My primary activity when I can is golfing. Now this is an activity I love to do with both my father and my son, therefore while relaxing and fun, it's not solely for me. Golf gives my dad, my son and myself all a chance to bond over a game we all enjoy playing. While this is nice, it does not give the individual in me a chance to be alone and get a mental reset. For the true mental reset I prefer hiking. Nothing gets me detached from the world like walking in the woods. I tend to spend a few hours on my hikes covering anywhere from 5-15 miles at a time. While hiking I like to reflect on my life, what I am doing currently and what I would like to do going forward. I then try to set up plans and ways to accomplish future goals or fix/ rework old strategies to fit my life now as a dad. While in the woods on my hikes I like to also work on my personal bushcraft skills when I can. I practice tying knots, identifying trees, knife skills and others all while out there on my own. The reason for practicing these skills is so when we camp or hike as a family I am able to take the lead and help get anything done around the campsite we need. Then as I practice and learn, I try my best to pass down what I have learned to my kids and my wife so we can all improve ourselves and our skills. It just feels fantastic knowing that what I am doing shows an instant outcome in some way shape or form, that is hard to beat when it comes to mental resets.

Regardless of your hobby or interests, get out and do something, anything that gives the individual in you a chance to reset and lose some of the stress from everyday life.