Cowles Mountain Hiker Therapy
As I was hiking the compacted rock and hard packed sand trail of Cowles Mountain this past weekend, I felt a sense of being grounded to the earth with each step I took…………..
This grounded feeling triggered a thought of being ground in life. When we are grounded we are in balance with our Mind, Body and Soul
We all have the essentials that have to be done; work, school, family, extracurricular activities and relationships that consumes much of our time. With all these life demands draining us of our peace of mind, how do we achieve this grounded place of mental and physcal heath well being?
I feel an essential step in being grounded starts with self-care.
In the work that I do with HIker Therapy, I make it a point early on when developing a therapeutic relationship with my client/s to ask them, “So, what do you do for you, just you?” I am always amazed when most respond, “Nothing, I don’t do anything just for me.”
In fact when I ask this question to friends, even relatives, most of them cannot come up with something they do just for themselves to get peace or relaxation which are essential elements that self-care provides.
Many say that they do things such as go to a movie, do a family activity or go out to eat but it is in the company of other’s. That is fine, life is meant to be shared, however, many times when we are in the company of other’s our attention is on the group or those we are with, thats an easy ditraction away from self.
The “Monument” Hiker Therapy
By self-care I mean doing something such as; exercise, deep breathing, meditation, journaling, a walk on the beach, playing the guitar, taking a class, anything that gives you time to focus on yourself so that you can relax, gain peace and recharge.
For me, this is one of the great benefits of hiking. Hiking gets you out into nature, provides you with physical exercise, supports your mental well being by reducing anxiety and depressed mood. Hiking also offers a sense of purpose and accomplishment as you hike the trail from beginning to end and back.
Cowles Mountain Trail-head Hiker Therapy
Self-care also provides time to take a look at our “groundedness” or life balance to see if we are too heavily vested in one area of our lives that distracts us from people, relationships, or ourselves.
For example many times people get out of balance by working too long, too hard or too much. Yes, work provides us with purpose and money so that we can enjoy life, survive and take care of that which needs to be taken care of, but often times work can serve as a distraction that keeps us from being grounded in our lives.
In fact, in my experience those who are constantly working; whether that be at a job or volunteering or running from this activity to the next are also the same individuals who answer,” I don’t do anything for me.” These are also the same people who are not grounded and many times not good with themselves, content with life or comfortable in their own skin. They are not balcned in Mind, Bosy and Soul.
Self-care helps alleviate the anxieties that come from our day-to-day activities such as work, taking care of our homes and families as well as other endeavors we consume ourselves with. So often overwhelming anxiety debilitates us and keeps us from being present in what we do and whom we are with. Often time individuals associate doing something for themselves as a selfish act or activity. In fact, many of my clients have voiced this to me that they feel selfish because they do something just for themselves.
I don’t see self-care or doing something for ones self as selfish at all. Self-care in order to become grounded is an act that others will benefit from greatly. After-all the better we are with ourselves the better prepared we are in taking our “groundedness” out into our lives, which can only reflect positively with our families, friends and relationships.
Being less stressed, being good with us, feeling comfortable in our own skin and having a positive sense of well-being is a real benefit of consistent self-care. This consistency is unique to each individual and the activity, however I feel that self-care should be a daily consideration, even if for 15-30 minutes in duration.
I would Challenge those of you that are reading this article to ask yourself
“What do I do that is just for me that offers Peace, Love, and Respect and Self Care for Myself?”
Remember self-care involves only one person, you!
Give yourself a gift and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get to know the most important person in your world, you! It will reward you many times over and provide you with the inspiration and motivation to be the best you can be which will lead you to a grounded life.