Got Action? Simple Ideas for Adult Time Out
Posted: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
by Christopher Pyle
Action Whitewater Adventures
Are you one of the tens of thousands of people who are logging longer hours, often off the clock. Are you playing less and stressing more? Our stress is coming in an ever greater flow, from ever diverse areas. It seems many of us are logging these hours not because of overtime, rather we're simply trying to produce more, trying to save our jobs.
Look to other countries as examples as well. Many European countries are proactive in making sure their workforce has 'holiday'. Many of the travelers I've met have upwards of 6-weeks of leave each and every year. In Asian countries it's not uncommon to see the workforce exercising together at their place of employment. We've heard of the 'siesta'. Many Latin based cultures close in the afternoon, for siesta, the businesses close down and folks relax.
My intent is to encourage you for you. I know, as well as anyone, there are many times in our lives we must do what we must do and if that means long hours, we have to log them. Too, I know, as do you, we need to rest. We're human. Our bodies have requirements. Thus, you should take a few moments for you, time to recuperate, time to recharge.
The quickest, most basic of getaways can be extremely rejuvenating. Get up early and take a stroll with your favorite cup of coffee. At work, get away from the office, take a walk. Take a mini vacation on the weekend, somewhere on the cheap. Head for the hills if you live on the coast and to the coast if you live in the hills, or to a lake, etc. Time away is supposed to be simple and easy to adjust too. We're people who've given all this up and constantly have our noses on the proverbial grindstone. We're looking for little steps, for a balancing of your time.
If you have the means, look into something a bit bigger, perhaps something out of your comfort zone. Look for a trip with something like the Sierra Club. Or better yet, look into an adult camp, like a youth summer camp but with adults. Get out, get to know some new folks, challenge those muscles, those bones and dare the child in you to come out and play again.
Look, they have kid camps, they have family camps so, why not an adult camp? Getting out and about in nature is cathartic. There's something about being outdoors that inspires, encourages and supports healthy balancing. So, step outside of the box, do something unexpected and reap the benefits of a camp that challenges you emotionally & physically. The food is great, the staff phenomenal and new friends are always great to meet.
For myself, it took some serious indicators before I began creating that time for me: a little heart thing, gained a hundred pounds, put the fun-time of family life second to nearly everything, etc. We're working the long hours and going the extra-mile, for what? Certainly it must be for something and if not for ourselves and our loved ones then is it worth all the sacrifice? When you begin making this time for yourself, don't be discourage, for even the act of setting time aside to set time aside will be difficult. Unfortunately, it's a new skill but it's a worthwhile skill and I encourage you to reap the benefits of time focused on you.
I've been carving out the little time, getting balanced, getting healthier again. I've done some of the things suggested above. I think for all the talking heads on television and in our radios telling us to do this and avoid that, far too few of them are reminding us, to do for us. It is our lives we're leading after all. So, get out, do something for you, no matter how small. Today, I rode my bike for 40-minutes with my teenage daughter, best time I had all weekend. It was free, it was only 40-minutes but it was good. The rest of the weekend, I've been on this computer!
Christopher Pyle is the owner/director of Action Whitewater Adventures of California. He has an adventure summer camp for teens and is offering a mini summer camp for adults this year. If you're interested in a mini-break, and would like to get together with adults, in a completely new and exciting venue, check out their camp page, make contact and share your interest in the adult program.
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