By: Sigrid Hazelwood
It’s easy to get burnt out when you’re working full time, so I always try to
find a balance that keeps me happy and healthy. I really believe that it’s important to spend some time in the outdoors to clear your mind and exercise. It allows you to explore, relax, and learn more about yourself and the place that you call home so that you come to work every day feeling a little better than the day before!
Stay-cations and short day-trips are some of my favorite ways to 
connect to the places that I live. It’s a great way to explore and feel like you’re on a vacation when you have less of a budget and time constraints to think about. I find that when I take 2-4 hours out of my Saturday or Sunday morning to go explore, I wake up on Monday feeling a little more refreshed. This results in me arriving at my job relaxed and ready to work!
My favorite way to get out and explore is probably bicycling, I love visiting local parks and wildlife 
refuges and cruising around on their bike trails. It’s an easy way to get a lot of exercise, travel long distances, and also see all of the nature and wildlife around you. Bicycling can be so enjoyable that you don’t even realize how far you’ve gone; a 5 mile ride can easily turn into 16 miles – especially when you’re enjoying the scenery around you. I’m fortunate enough to live in North Florida where the Gulf Coast is only a short drive away and there are multiple state and national parks in the area to visit at low or no cost.
Whether I’m spending some time outside alone or with company, it’s just easier for more stressful thoughts to go to the back of my mind – I like to think that it’s a pre-emptive strike against a case of the “Monday blues”. Because I’m able to give my mind a break, I go back to work with a fresh attitude and open mind so that I learn more, work more efficiently and better enjoy my work life.
I hope that you are also able to find balance and happiness in the places around you!
