Yesterday, we went hiking at a nearby park. It was a steep hike to get to the top where this gorgeous view was, but it was totally worth it. As we climbed, I came to realize how much I enjoyed the silence. Sure, it was far from true silence as we rustled leaves and twigs while we walked and the sounds of the forest echoed around us, but it was perfect. Just us, our thoughts, and the movement of our pups.
After a week long of the hustle of visiting family and taking the three hour round trip drive back to Green Bay twice, it was exactly what I needed. I was totally beat afterwards, but there are so few greater feelings than the total exhaustion from a physical accomplishment. It made me miss working out and getting that workout buzz after being left to my own thoughts and pushing myself beyond what I believed my limits were for those thirty, painful yet empowering minutes.
Overall though, the hike showed me how necessary it was to get out there and break my cycle. The work, sleep, eat repeat cycle that seems to occur almost every single day. I was dreading having to get back to my usual schedule after we had such a great time with family, but getting out for the hike totally shook it. Even though we worked, and tried to be productive – it was like the hike was enough to make it all almost easy.
I think I’ll have to fit breaks like this one into my schedule on a regular basis to help prevent burnout and to keep me motivated. Especially with the craziness that the month of August already holds for us.
How do you stay motivated and prevent burnout when things are hectic?