Do You Have an Outlet?

Granted I’m a bit of a fitness geek, but I can’t help thinking about fitness all day, every day. There are so many universal concepts that I read, listen to from others, witness, view or experience in a variety of ways that always seem to lead me back to fitness.

How can X concept help John or Y concept apply to Mary?

I can’t help it really. I think it’s important for me to have that edge and I love it. I love writing about it, I love talking about it, I love learning about it to the point where I’m sure some people around me get sick of it sometimes, but it makes me happy. And it stresses me out at the same time, in a good way, but even good stress can still be taxing on the body.

If you’re like me and you love your work so much you can’t stop thinking about it, then you know of the dangers associated with that level of passion or involvement. The sleepless nights, the experimentation on yourself, the overbearing presence you can have on loved ones, it’s really hard to shut your mind off to it and drop the subject.

It consumes me…

The above video is a tune that my buddy Michael Averill wrote. If you want to know, I’m playing drums very seriously on the track in the background, starting about half-way through the tune.

Why is that prevalent to this post?

It’s an outlet, and a productive one at that. Music enhances neural functioning in a way TV or the Internet never can. It’s good for the soul, it provides me with inspiration, and freedom from thinking about fitness on a regular basis. When I’m in that environment, I can shut off the fitness part of my brain and just relax. It’s an escape without having the leave the city, or actively think about unplugging from this world.

What do you do to unplug?

Fitness?

Art?

Music?

Sports?

I think something active is always a great place to start, but your body needs time to come away from what drives your thinking the most. Whether that’s financial concerns, family stuff, making ends meet, or simply finding time to do most of the stuff you love. We all have thoughts that can consume us — some positive, maybe some negative — at certain times in our life.

Don’t forget to have an outlet.

Don’t forget to unplug.