What do Rock Hunting, Silence, and Mental Health Have in Common?
Recently I had the opportunity to take a day to get out of my office and take some time to clear my head. This time I chose…
Rock Hunting:
I scheduled a vacation day this week so the nicer weather came at the perfect time. There is a beach I like to go visit about an hour south where we could go for a nice long walk and hopefully find a treasure or two to bring home.
When headed to the beach, you probably think of looking for shells. There’s nothing so frustrating as looking for a whole sand dollar. And nothing so fun when you do!
At this beach, however, you go rock hunting. It’s a popular spot. You see people wandering around with their heads down, collection bags in hand, looking for treasures to take home.
Since rock hunting is a head-down, focused search, the world can kind of fade away. You are in the zone, and all you hear are the rocks under your feet, the waves coming in and out, and the call of the seagulls.
It’s a great mindful activity that helps you to slow down and be in the present moment. Except… for the leashes tugging at your hand, trying to go in opposite directions.
Usually, our brains are running back and forth with…
- Appointments we need to make.
- Analyzing problems we need to solve or conversations that didn’t go as planned
- Questions we need to remember to ask
- And alllll the big and little things we are trying hard not to forget.
For me, this rocking hunting activity is a unique form of silence.
We all need silence sometimes
We all need to give our brains a break. A break from business decisions, troubleshooting, coaching, problem-solving, social media, music, podcasts, family…. This list could go on and on.
We all need a break from consuming and processing so much information and just be.
Silence can be the absence of sound, and that can have amazing health benefits. For many of us, what we really need is mental silence. And this kind of silence can come in many shapes and sizes:
- Hiking a forest trail or walking at a local park
- Gardening and tending your plants
- Rock or shell hunting
- Photography and noticing walks
- Praying
- Journaling
- Crafting, creating, making, baking…
What kind of mental breaks do you enjoy?
We consume at an astonishing rate. We also produce at an astonishing rate as we serve our clients, family, and friends. So don’t ignore your mental health. As entrepreneurs, we need good mental health to perform and serve at our best.
It’s the reason I headed out to a beach to go rock hunting on a beautiful and very windy Oregon Coast day.
It was an important gift to give myself and not feel guilty about it. My to-do lists, never-ending idea list, and emails will still be there when I get back.
What will you do this week to give yourself the gift of a mental health break?
Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer, WordPress Website developer, and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her dogs Oliver & Mochi. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. Marta also fully believes that change starts with gratitude and that gratitude can change everything. Find out how with the “Grateful Friday 7-Days of Gratitude Starter Kit”