Coping strategy: Spend time in the great outdoors

I just returned from a 20-minute walk around my neighborhood. Nothing grand like my canyon hike to the Travertine creek pictured above. Nothing lengthy, either. Just a quick walk around a couple of blocks to refresh. It made me realize I'm lucky to appreciate the outdoors in such a way that even the heat (The temperature out there is at least 111 degrees this afternoon) won't keep me from stepping out when I know I can use the break.

I learned a long time ago that spending time outside is a great coping strategy. You don't have to do much. You don't have have a big plan to follow. A simple walk, as I did, around a block or two will relieve a little stress, ease a little ache, and relax the busy mind. Even if I'd just decided to sit outside on the patio and feel the fresh air on my skin or take in the still blue color of the sky, I would have returned to my desk with a different perspective.

From time to time I'll be posting a quick coping strategy that you can try at home or at your office when you're feeling a bit stressed during these tough economic times. It won't be anything inaccessible. The tips will be easy enough to accomplish on your end. If you need to re-work them a bit to fit your situation, I'll leave that creative challenge up to you. My purpose will simply be to help you awaken the idea that no matter the challenge you face in your daily life, you are well-equipped to overcome it--one coping strategy at a time.

And if you're wondering why I took that short walk today, it was for one reason. I'm participating in a daily challenge with other writers I know on Facebook. Called "Writers on the Move," its purpose is to get writers up and out from behind the desk in order to create a healthier life. When I'd realized I'd not participated yet today, I thought I should get up and move so I could post my update. I decided a walk would do. It did. And I feel accomplished. See how it works?

Wouldn't you feel better about something that's been bugging you or nagging at you or otherwise challenging you if you took a few moments to spend some time outdoors and get away from it all?

If you want to know why this works so well, this article (even though it focuses on the benefits for kids) explains it well.  If that doesn't convince you, here's an article that explores more reasons why the outdoors are good for adults, too.

Enjoy!

The long walk...or the long talk

Yesterday, I posted a quick question with an accompanying photo. I wanted to find out what you do when you feel like you need to go for a walk. That feeling usually occurs because anxiety is building up within, and I wanted to know how you respond to that.

_I walk.

_I ride.

_I write.

Those are generally my top three ways to respond to anxiety build-up.

So, let's try this again. When you feel that restlessness, when you feel anxious, when walking seems like the answer, do you respond accordingly?

If not, why not? What's keeping you from acting in the most natural and healthy way possible?

What do you do instead?

Post your thoughts and let's get a dialogue going.

Know when to take break or walk away

In my line of work, frustration can kick in for various reasons. Probably in your line of work, frustration kicks in, too, on occasion. For me, it might be because I:

_accept a deadline I shouldn't have.
_take on a project, underestimating the realistic time it will take.
_cannot reach my sources.
_forget to save the 10 or so perfect paragraphs when my computer crashes or shuts down.
_get behind in sending out invoices.
_have to work late into the night to meet a deadline.
_focus too much on what I earn.
_focus too little on what I earn.
_skip exercise when in the middle of a huge project.

The list can go on and on. Truth is, there are a lot of things that can lead to frustration. The trick is knowing when to take a break or walk away. You can learn to be in charge of it, and not let it be in charge of you. If you have too much on your plate, and you feel like you have too much on your plate, then you probably do, and it might be time to let something go. Maybe you need to farm out some of the work to a co-worker or colleague you know would be able to help. Maybe you need to say no to the next job that comes across your desk. Or maybe you need to literally get up from your desk and take a walk.

It's important to pay attention to what your body needs from you, especially when you're working or living in a high-stress environment.

Realize it's perfectly acceptable to say no, to back away from an argument, or do whatever it takes for you to find peace and calm again.

If you're used to living in chaos, then chaos is probably your comfort zone, and you may not even know what calm feels like. But it's never too late to learn.

The best thing I ever did for my life was to start riding my bike. On the seat of my bike, I gave myself the opportunity to learn what it felt like to feel at ease. The exercise worked off anxiety I was feeling, and the repetitive nature of pedaling pushed my mind into a meditative state. If I was thinking about something stressing me out when I first started riding, by the time I finished my ride, my mind had left that nonsense and had moved onward to the solution and new state of calm.

I liked that feeling much better.

The next time you find yourself in a heated moment with yourself or someone else, get up and walk away. You don't have to be a parent or child to get the time out. We all need time outs. And you don't have to do it abruptly. You can quietly and calmly announce that you need to leave the room, either to yourself (Yes, I'm serious.) or to someone else. Then do it. Take a break from whatever it is that ails you (especially if it's yourself) and walk away.

If you have a bike nearby, I encourage you to get on it and ride. Ride for as long as you can, and then ride back to where you were. I know you'll feel much better. Here's someone who agrees with me.

Question of the day: Why do you think a walk or a ride can help relieve frustration? Post your comments here.