Lesson '2' In Taking A Moment For Yourself

In my last post, I was pondering on why we don't see more women in the outdoors, although, I do actually see more than I used to. I have stumbled across another gal or two while hunting over the last couple of years. It seems that the girl movement to the outdoors may be catching on. We now have several lines of outdoor apparel designed for us, as well as guns and optics. Woman in the outdoors is becoming a bit bigger every day. (Look out boys...we're tagging along) Whether you like pink camo, or not, the feminine side is beginning to make a big impact in the outdoors. My dilemma is giving more women the confidence to get out there.

This brings me to the next item on my list of reasons for staying inside. Could it possibly be.....hmmm.... maybe a little intimidation, or fear of going at it alone. So...DON'T go alone....find a buddy. I'm not saying, get online and advertise for someone to take you into the backwoods.....lets be sensible here. But grab someone you know well, a significant other, best friend, or even the little old lady next door. Go for a drive or a short walk and you'll both be happier! Just get out and focus on something other than everyday life, bills, stress......stop and smell the flowers for goodness sake. Besides, that's the great thing about problems....rarely do they solve themselves....they'll be there when you get back and you might just have a whole new outlook on solving them that suddenly came to you while you were getting your head together. Fresh air, and a fresh look at the situation may solve your problem for you.

As for myself, I am all about finding reasons to spend more time outdoors. Maybe it's my selfishness that gets me out there more than my fair share, or maybe it's my stubbornness, that I am just extremely determined to get what I want. Whatever the reason, I can usually manage to squeeze a drive to the mountains in my busy week. (It does help that the mountains are only about a 15 minute drive from my house.) I can always tell when I need a 'mountain fix'. I get grumpy and irritable. The point I'm trying to make is FIND THE ONE THING THAT TRULY TAKES YOUR MIND OFF OF YOUR PROBLEMS, and do it, for yourself AND those around you. If only for a couple of minutes....it will help you get through.

After having my second child, I found that my life had changed drastically. I went from being able to spend every spare minute in the mountains hiking and watching wildlife, to being stuck in a house with two small kids that required all of my attention. With two small bundles that I felt I had to hover over, I now had no choice, no time for myself, and an extreme depression set in.....I believe they call it 'baby blues'. Yup....I had them. I found myself flipping out over some of the littlest things. I would practically bite someone's head off and then stop myself and think......'what the heck is wrong with me'. I consulted my OBGYN who told me that I had a classic case of the baby blues and was quick to prescribe an all too common fix of prozac. A bit hesitant, I filled the prescription,  but on the way home, I couldn't help but think that there must be another way to fix the problem. I had heard bad things about prozac side effects and was a little leery. I'm not saying the world could function without prozac, (we're talking about my head....remember) I'm just one of those people that doesn't like to take an aspirin for a headache, let a lone an antidepressant. After a long period of pondering why this might be happening to me, I decided that it was simply because I had felt like I had no life of my own anymore. Now.....all I had to do was figure out how to fix it.....

My son was three, and my baby girl was about 3ish months old. I decided it was time for them to get out more. I purchased a little baby backpack and off we went for a short hike near the house. Sometimes I dropped the baby off at grandmas for an hour, but a couple of times each week, I managed to push myself out the door for a moment away. I never used the prozac prescription, but a couple of hikes or short drives played a HUGE part in making me sane again. The moral of the story.....take a minute to focus on what YOU need as a person so you can give those around you what they need.

My kids are older now, but over the years I have taken up several new sports that ensure me more time in the outdoors. Things such as photography, wildlife viewing, fishing, and wakeboarding are just a few of my favorite ways to spend time, and it's time with my family. Not only have I made time for my mental health....but I usually drag one or more children with me. Sometimes it's a one on one trip, and sometimes we all pile in and head off to roast a hotdog just because we can!

We previouly discussed the reasons that keep us indoors, and decided that taking time out for ourselves is usually not at the top of the priority list. Well girlies...I'm here to tell ya', if you don't take a moment for yourself, NOBODY else will!