What Are You Doing To Counter Your Work Stress?

As regular readers know and as you can see on the right rail of this blog, I track some of my outdoor endurance activities.  In 2017 I had a banner year, I rode my various bikes about 6400 miles, the equivalent of more than twice across America. 

With running, paddling, and hiking added on I totaled more miles and hours than any year before.

And I was still working full time for three-quarters of 2017, all the way until October.  So after making the arrangement to dial back my work hours to 20 hours a week, I salivated at the thought of being able to ramp up my miles and my climbing time.

I remember thinking “2018 is gonna be the year that I take my fitness to a new level.  I’m gonna have time to really hit those goals!”.

So how’s it been going so far? 

Well, I have fewer miles than last year, that’s how.  Actually I’m well behind last year, especially in cycling.  I’m on track to ride about 5000 miles – still a great year, but well off my record year of 2017.

What happened?  With 20+ extra hours of free time each week why haven’t I crushed the miles?

 

The Counter Balance

My new free time is helping me figure things out.  I posted previously about how I’m slowly becoming more patient and less hurried.  That progress continues and it’s wonderful.

But my new semi-liberated status is revealing something more profound.  I’m beginning to realize that perhaps my high volume of endurance sport miles was just a necessity to counter the stress of my job.

You read that right.  I think I was often running, riding, and paddling away from stress.

Don’t get me wrong, I obviously love to do these sports and activities.  They’re cathartic, they make me healthy, they get me outside, and they’re medically proven to release all kinds of endorphins and chemicals that make me think clearer and be mentally healthier.  The science is solid, there’s no denying it.

Those of us who do them will tell you that they help relieve stress, in a big way.  Back when I was working full time I’d get home after a long day and stressful commute and immediately put my running shoes on or get on my bike.

And as soon as I took that first stride or turned that first pedal stroke, I’d start to feel the stress leaving my body.  The activities were like a ying and yang – the more stressful my day at work was, the harder and faster I would often run or ride.

After particularly nasty days at work I’d sometimes do hill repeats on my bike, which is one of the more intense workout types I do.  It is exactly what it sounds like.  I have quite a few steep hills near my house and I simply ride my bike up them as fast as I can until my heart is pounding out of my chest. 

Then I ride back down and do it over again.  And again.  And so on…. you get it.

Sometimes this gets comical as many of these hills are on residential streets and usually there’s a homeowner or two out trimming weeds or doing something in the yard.  They see me continually going up their steep street, seemingly going nowhere, sweating and breathing like I’m dying.  I’m sure they’re thinking “this guy is a few fries short of a happy meal…”

But au contraire mon frère, what I was doing was actually trying to get to happy meal status.  Not the fast food kind, but just the happy part.

Marla Taner was recently on the Mad Fientist podcast, and I really enjoyed her episode.  She had always traveled a lot and is noted in the comunity for being an expert travel hacker.  But she said she’s been traveling less and less in retirement.  On the podcast she made this comment which hit it home for me:

I think that feeling where you’re working and have a vacation…. that feeling you get when you’re on vacation is so exciting and it’s because it’s an escape from a stressful life.  But if your life is no longer stressful you no longer need that escape

 

The Fog Of Work

Way back in 2011 one of the early FIRE bloggers, Doug Nordstrom from The Military Guide did a post called The Fog Of Work.  It’s a takeoff on the term “The Fog of War” and I highly recommend reading it.

The premise is that work is kind of like war in that it puts you in a constant state of “fog” (although at least bullets aren’t flying, I hope).

In the post he writes:

There’s only one solution: whisk away the fog of work. Heads will clear after a couple weeks of naps, long leisurely walks, and family discussions. Instead of worrying about “now” or “dinner” or “tomorrow’s meeting”, the focus can shift to the future and a plan for getting there.

So without the constant always-behind rush of life that work forces you to compress into 24 hours each day, the premise is that the fog will clear and you’ll start figuring things out once you detox from work.

That is exactly what’s happening to me and I’m finding that maybe in my natural state I don’t need to ride my bike 6400 miles a year.

Shhhhh….. I hope my bike didn’t hear that 🙂

Instead of filling those extra 20+ hours with more miles, I’ve been creating.  I’ve been writing on this blog, creating graphic designs, and playing guitar more.

I’m just as happy with fewer miles, and less stressed because I’m at my W2 job way less.

Back in the day when I had a rare weekday off I’d always plan an epic 50 mile ride, or longer.  Now I’m happy with my usual 15 or 20 miles, a solid one hour workout. 

Of course I still do the occasional epic 100 mile ride or long run.  But I don’t feel compelled to do those monster sessions to burn stress and equalize my brain like I did before.  I do those on my own terms now.

 

Your Stress Killer

Unless you absolutely love your main job and would rather be there than elsewhere at any given time, it’s very likely that your job is causing you stress.  And it’s scientific fact that too much stress will shorten your life.

So I ask you this:  what are you doing to counter your work stress?

You may not know the answer, which is probably completely normal.

It could be good things like exercise, time with family, or woodworking.

Or it could be bad things, like overeating, drinking too much, smoking, or endless hours on the couch watching TV.

Most likely it’s a combination of things, some good and some bad.  We’re all human after all.  If I said I’d never drank too much to “take the edge off” a tough work week I’d be a blatant liar. 

And I’m not opposed to a movie here and there. 

But maybe the truth is that none of us really knows what our “natural state” is like while we still have the stress of work to deal with.  Because certain behaviors, habits, and vices probably exist solely to counter work stress. 

Your Turn AF Readers – Is there something you know you’re doing to mainly counter your work stress?  Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  Do you think you’d still do the activity if you didn’t have to work anymore?

*This article contains affiliate links. Using those links throws some change in my pocket at no additional cost to you. Here’s my disclosure.