Apologies for the vague title but what I am trying to say is with everything being sort of a 5 alarm shit show (not just politics) and a lot of us sort of reaching that apathy point so to speak, I figured it might do us all good to talk about that thing or things that let us tune out for a bit and take a breath.

While I like to drive and love movies good and bad my personal zen, re-centering thing is shooting airguns. I've posted some of my stuff in the past here but they really are my escape so to speak.

-I can shoot them whenever I want
-They require a fairly large amount of concentration on my part
-They provide immediate feedback
-Like golf you can never be "perfect"
-The period between lining up and breaking a shot is like a vacation from everything because everything except breathing, trigger control and follow through are the only thing that exist for me.

So that's my "escape" so to speak. It doesn't make the world better but it lets me tune it out for twenty minutes or so a day.




What is your HEALTHY escape (not thinking about alcohol and or drugs here)

I make these … hamons on shallow hardening steels. This is W2 iirc.



I also play guitar. Additionally, I enjoy the love of German shepherd dogs every single moment of the day.

One of my favorites is riding my motorcycle on the sparsely traveled paved roads through the nearby national forest. Too bad it's seasonal.

For me, just to completely relax by myself, not worry about a single thing, to enter that zone of pure pleasure and relaxation, smoking a cigar with a nice drink in hand, while sitting in my backyard admiring the view.

#1 is long, hot showers. The shower is my "happy place". It's where I go after a stressful day or after hard physical work to wash the grime off - both literally and metaphorically. My body can relax while I either turn my brain off and just be, or think deep thoughts and problem solve, depending on which one's necessary.

Having a large, nicely finished shower with good water pressure and a large water heater capacity is a must for me.


A close #2 is playing and wrestling with my 130 pound Labradoodle. He's just so happy and loving and positive all the time, so he has the ability to wrench me out of even the biggest funk.

I cut my grass. Pretty simple mindless following the lines. Helps me unplug.

I try to avoid needing to "take a breath" in the first place.

• Watch, read, and listen to almost no "news" whatsoever
  
• Participate in almost no social media
  
• Avoid toxic people
  
• Read almost exclusively books that either entertain or are "personal improvement" books.
  
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
  
• Exercise regularly--nearly daily
  
• Get sufficient good sleep (minimum of seven hours a night, usually 7-1/2)
  
• Stay hydrated
  
• Practice relaxation for at least a couple minutes each day
  
• Remind myself, should I feel myself becoming angry, annoyed, frustrated, stressed, etc. that these are states of mind and I don't need to respond to <whatever> with negative thoughts

To that last point: On a road trip to buy something, day-before-yesterday, I experienced:

1. Finding out what I'd expected to be a 2-hour drive each way would be over 2-1/2
   
2. Half-way there having the tank in my vaping device develop a leak and lose all its juice
   
3. Finding the longest segment was a two-lane rural highway with an inordinate number of slow drivers, slow trucks, and farm equipment being moved at a snail's pace

As each one of these occurred I reminded myself: I really want this thing, I have all the time in the world, there's no reason to stress, and becoming frustrated, annoyed, or angry would do nothing but make the trip less enjoyable.

Again, yesterday: Had my day planned. Then the water incursion problem happened. I could have gotten all wrapped-around-the-axle over having my plans frustrated and having to do the PITA work I knew I'd have to do. Didn't even have to remind myself that would just make things worse. I simply stoically acknowledged it was what it was and carried on.

Cooking.
I forget all of my worries and stresses when making something delicious and exciting in the kitchen.

I just recognize that nothing is really a 5 alarm shit show. There's waaaaaayyyy too much good out there in life to let yourself get mired in the doom and gloom all the time. Sure, there's plenty of crap, but it's really a small portion of life.

Go hiking, camping, motorcycle riding. Have lunch with a friend, hug a family member, go out and find religion. Drive to a town you've never been to and see what's there. Try a new type of restaurant, cook a meal you've never tried before, watch a sunrise or sunset. Visit a nursing home, volunteer to feed the homeless, adopt a dog from a shelter (or just go play with them).

Life is huge and wonderful and every single person in the first world is already incredibly blessed with opportunity to enjoy it. Turn off the news, cut back on social media, and get out there.

Gaming on tablet or console.

Camping and hiking would be #1, but it is necessarily only a few times per year.

Motorcycle riding on back roads, or on dirt roads to camping is a great relaxer.

On a daily basis, playing guitar. Even better is playing in an ensemble with top notch musicians (used to be weekly before C19).

Getting out on the water.

Doesn’t mater if it is out fishing, sailing, on the kayak, just a pleasure cruise to nowhere, By myself or with my wife. Being on the water just takes the entire world and puts it aside.

I practice anapanasati, zazen specifically.

My family has taken up archery. Being able to shoot in the back yard is nice.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
One of my favorites is riding my motorcycle on the sparsely traveled paved roads through the nearby national forest. Too bad it's seasonal.

Same here Todd. While I love longer multi-day/week rides I really do a lot of local riding for just an hour or two most every nice day to relax and just remind myself how fortunate I am in many ways.
Every ride begins on this dirt/gravel road and depending on what bike I'm on I may avoid paved roads for the most part.




Or within a mile I can be on pleasant little paved roads seldom meeting other vehicles.







And yes while seasonal I also enjoy working on motorcycles so I take advantage of winter months for my motorcycle maintenance zen.

Mine used to be golf. When I was a "resident" it was the only thing that kept me sane and focused. My apartment was next to the second tee box of the local course and I had it timed so that I could sneak out and play 2-9 in the evenings, finishing 9 after the clubhouse closed and then walking across to play 1, finishing right at dark. No, I'm not too proud of the fact that I was stealing golf, but I did what I did and what I had to do at the time to keep from going crazy...I was flat broke and couldn't afford to pay greens fees every day. It was amazingly therapeutic as I was always the only one out there...just me and the course.

Nowadays I just go for a walk, think, and talk to myself. Or, sit on the deck with a cigar and a few fingers of whiskey.

Lot of motorcycle folks………not enough sheet metal around me on those.

As far as archery goes, I can shoot darn near anything, hell I can even throw the occasional knife or axe passably but when it comes to a bow and arrow……a man has to know his limitations and I am pretty much a danger to myself and others with a bow and arrow. . Like I should definitely have to yell the equivalent of FOUR!!! When loosing an arrow.

I find solace in music. Either listening to my stereo, or noodling around on the guitar.

For me it has always been motorcycling. Riding dirt bikes always did it for me. Unfortunately I'm street only these days and with the attention span of the average driver and my age getting higher I'm noticing that not every ride is a recharge anymore.

What definitely gives me a nice recharge is flying electric RC airplanes. It takes your total focus so everything else in life just drops away.

I am working on an air gun setup in my basement. I have plenty of space for it but my bullet trap is not quite as good as I had hoped. If anyone has some good suggestions that you have had success with I'm all ears.