I love to run. It is my alone time. I feel energized and quickened by the effort. To me it is much more mental than it is physical. I often become so lost in thought that I hardly recognize that I am exerting myself.
Mental Capacity
Yesterday, as I ran up one of the tougher hills, I lost my concentration. My mental capacity gave out and I could not make it to the top. I was on a hill that I have successfully ran many times, but that did not matter. For whatever reason, I became disengaged from my mental escape and my ability to continue was thwarted.
I stopped briefly, hoping that I could regain my edge, but I could not get it back. I was a long way from home and my mind had decided that my run was over. I struggled to make it back to begin the day.
The challenges that I faced during my run, carried over into the rest of my mood. I did not feel physically tired, or discouraged, I just felt flat. My intensity was not there and I simply wanted to rest and do nothing.
Not Me!
Of course, I felt like I was too busy to rest and do nothing so I labored throughout the day to stick with it. That was nearly impossible to do. My focus was in another sphere and I was not interested in moving forward. All I needed to do was to stop and reflect and allow myself a moment to rest from the cares and challenges of the day. But I pushed on anyway.
The result? The day was one of the most unproductive days I have had in a long time. I was unable to get it together. The time I spent was wasted. I had to redo nearly everything I did several times over. Finally the day was over, but I had nothing to show for it.
Seeing The Signs
I knew on the run that it was going to be this kind of day. I could have walked home and then gone to some peaceful place to reflect, plan and heal. The signs were all there. Instead of seeing them and listening to them, I pressed on and reaped little, if any, reward.
Are you in tune enough with your being to know when it is time to take the mental breaks you need?
Are you willing to give yourself the permission you need to do it?
What value do you gain when you do?
When I came home from work, I took a brief rest. Then I went out and did some physical labor – the kind that made me really have to use my body and forget my head. It was a great break, and the exact opposite of the escape I normally enjoy when I get out to do physical exercise. This time the benefit was an escape from my mind, and that is exactly what I needed.
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