IPT

So I was talking to someone and we have a common alcoholic friend. As we chatted about his struggles he mentioned that really we all have our own ways of “escaping”. For him personally it was going to the movies. For our friend it was drinking and cutting. For my ex it was smoking weed. For me it has always been exercise or physical exertion. Life has stressors in it like it or not. I guess its how we deal with it that can make our life better or worse. Again, though it’s about balance as well as the choice of activity. If all you do is smoke weed, or all you do is workout, you can’t really live a balanced healthy life. I am thankful I happened upon a healthy way to reduce stress as a teenager. I am wondering if everyone knows what they do to get away? Do you? Is it working for you? Do you do enough of it? Too much?

URMYEVERYTHING

Massages and spas... totally addicted to them.

Really, I love them but it's about balance. If I went to a spa like an addict likes their drugs, I would be one broke mama. A relaxed one.... but broke.

IPT

thanks for the laugh ...that made me smile .

Serenity Bound

I'd love to go to the spas, but I'm already broke.

I try to lose myself in a good book

Learn2Live

Smoke cigarettes. Too much. And it's killing me.

I work very hard at my career so when I am more healthy than I am at this time in particular, I try to remember to schedule vacation about every 3 months. I jump on an airplane to the Orlando area where I have family. I get a rental car at the airport and love to drive fast to my destination. It became a great personal ritual that I had implemented, till the crackhead moved into my house. I don't know if I can reinstitute this ritual or not but I sure hope I can.

gowest

I ride horses.

Horses that I jump over obstacles both solid (think 3ft plus stone walls/elevated logs) and non-solid obstacles (poles)

Here is a link to the sport I participate in - but the video is of fences at olympic level. Enjoy - inspiring music too!!

YouTube - 2008 an Olympic year!!!

I love to tack up my horse and head to an open field and gallop until the speed makes tears run out of my eyes.

I am totally and completely out of my own head when I ride.
If you are riding a 1200 pound animal with a mind of its own your entire focus must be on what you are doing. You can end up seriously hurt or worse if you aren't paying attention.

The only problem is that my horse is very far away from where I live so I don;t get to go as often as I'd like and it is so expensive. It will soon be a real struggle for me to keep him and I can't imagine getting through my life without him.

I love my horse. I trust my horse. My horse never ever lies to me. My horse's addictions are carrots, apples and peppermints.

cece1960

Am I the only one that's never been to a spa? I've never had a professional message either!
I'm going to have to check it out before it ends up on a bucket list

My fixes:
Spending time with my grandaughter
Unfortunately, cigarettes (hoping to wipe that one out...again...soon)
Drawing

greeteachday

Gowest, My daughter Kristen shared your passion. She adopted an ex race horse when she was 12 and taught him to jump. She competed in jumper divisions 3 to 3-6 fences. I used to have my heart in my throat watching, but I loved seeing her flying free too. Her horse is so precious...They all are i know, but what an amazing bond. He has the same addictions...oh and Sprite too, lol.
Thanks for your post; it brought back some wonderful images in my mind. (I lost my daughter 3 years ago)

Have you considered a half lease? That might help with the boarding expenses and give someone else with a passion for horses an opportunity as well and keep your guy in condition.

greeteachday

My releases are physical too -running, weight training, long walks, hiking and kayaking. I tend to go to extremes...Can't take more than one rest day a week from running and I feel out of sorts if I don't take a long brisk walk that day. It is an addiction...I know. I think about tomorrow's run as soon as I finish today's. I track my stats on my little adapter that plugs into my mp3 player and connects with a transformer thingy in my shoe...I am religious about getting the right number of weight training days...I sometimes almost hide how many miles I have run since I know I've pushed it too far that week. It's a healthy outlet, but I have come to the realization recently that I have taken it to an extreme and I need to find a balance. I've started exploring more yoga and meditation to hopefully help me with that balance.

I used to be a workaholic...that was my outlet. Recovery has helped me to find healthier alternatives but I still can't get the "just right" part.

IPT

Man, that so used to be me with weightlifting. Eating a zillion times a day to put on muscle. Weighing my food and dieting down in the summer to get leaner. I have mellowed tons since then. Still, I tend to be pretty driven. Like I said in one of my other threads…is it bad to be driven? To want to better yourself? I have an addictive personality, how ironic that I would become addicted to an addict. Is it bad to be so passionate about something that you think about it all the time? As long as you are not neglecting things or people I don’t see anything wrong with being that passionate about something. I guess anything to an extreme is not good though. A far extreme that is...but who defines that? Some people I know think i am extreme... some people I hang around blow my doors off with what they do. It's all relative.



THAT is the ticket…though you’re still in your head but you’re living in the moment. It is the ultimate Zen process. I used to be pretty dang good at it too until I lost my way. Then my thoughts started getting the better of me. I lost control of my mind, literally, my thoughts consumed me. When I first started meditating years and years ago (need to start again obviously…) it took FOREVER just to get like a minute of clear stillness in my head. You can train your brain to control it’s thoughts. To live in the present even when you are not doing something you are passionate about. It was an incredible feeling to be so conscious. Productivity goes thru the roof, there seem to be no bad moments, just moments. It was a much more peaceful existence than where I find myself now. However, I do find those moments coming round more and more which is very welcome indeed.

Abundance

Going after and finding "deals" in the form of "retail therapy" <---- that's a guilty pleasure. Sure, I can justify it, by saying... it is actually cheaper to buy a new skirt/pant/shirt vs. dry cleaning one! Gotta love Ross!

I would love to have a massage and facial rotating weekly or bi-weekly. Getting pedicures for $15 is a treat now. And that is great!!

Anything, that costs money - is not my "fix"... simply because it can't be. If I do something that costs money, it's quite a big deal and far from what would be called a *fix*!

My true *fix* is PEOPLE! I LOVE PEOPLE! I love souls, that is more like it! Tonight my sis in law came over - not much advance notice and I feel alive and rejuvenated! To balance this *fix* - I am also enjoying / embracing my alone time.

Ooooooh another thing is music... artists in general. now that is a fix .... for sure!

gowest

I have considered a half-lease. It is complicated to find the right person for this horse. He is very "safe" in the sense that he is very smart and doesn't spook (he's older 19 and has seen it all) but he has a HUGE engine and a big jump. When you ride him it must be forward, forward, forward and I've found most amateurs my age (who could afford a lease arrangement) are not brave and not really able to handle the go button.
His ground manners aren't good, so I don't consider him "kid safe". Once they are on him it is fine but he isn't the best horse with which to play my pretty pony.
I will keep looking though.

I'm glad my post brought back some good memories for you and am so sorry to learn about your daughter (I have 2 daughters).

gowest

It is the best feeling in the world.
One reason I fell for the exrabf was that he could accept and appreciate my passions.

I have an addictive personality too and it used to fascinate him that I was an "addict" but not an "addict". I think it helped fuel the connection between us because I was with someone who understood what it was like to be stuck in my head.

I however have very strong boundaries and we had problems at the 6 month mark when he wasn't acting sober anymore. My boundaries caused our relationship to deteriorate rather quickly as I didn't tolerate the not showing up, not calling when he said he would, I wouldn't lend him money etc ... Offered all my love and support but that wasn't what he needed/wanted then.

I still get the obsessive thoughts.
All athletic endeavors help me too and I'm sure I would suck at meditation!
I always find release on horseback. Always.
Saves my life.

Ann

My fix is water and nature. A long walk on a beach will shake the cobwebs and connect me with all that is good. I have found peace walking the beach, especially through my dark days and saddest times. It's like the air, the smell, the seagulls, the waves and the sand all speak to me and remind me that the flow of life is exactly as it should be and all is well.

Last year I spent a lot of time near Lake Superior and there is a place just north of Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario side) called Gros Cap. I defy anyone to stand on the shore there and tell me there is no God. Something about that place just takes my breath away and heals my heart.

Here's a picture I took there.

Limiya

My fix is dancing, dancing, dancing, and horse riding.
Particularly latin dancing i love.
After doing either of these things i feel much better and clearer minded afterwards.

Healthy hobbies are fantastic
~Limiya~

Chino

I've been trying to answer this question from the time I read it yesterday. Travel and photography are my main passions, but I'm not always able to indulge them. I'm needing a fix right now and not being able to get it almost has me immobilized.

Reading about horses had me longing for a visit north. My family has a herd and I ride every time I'm there. I don't know what in the hell I'm doing, so I tell the horse that and just hang on. It's all open prairie and the first time I rode my family said don't worry, the horse will come home when it's tired and hungry.

My aunt called yesterday and I thought, what a coincidence! I'm going in a couple of weeks and who knows, maybe I'll get to see the Northern Lights, too

Between now and then? My fix is whatever I can throw myself into. Whether it's editing, printing and framing a photo; painting my walls; chasing Cujo next door; reading a book or mopping my floors; I better get busy before I drive myself crazy!

Puggrinz

Go West! I love equine sports too, especially cross country. I hope to someday get back to it, just for pleasure.

So what's my fix to escape?

I like to plan where I am going to put my barn and what it will look like. Will it have an attached tack room, how big will the stalls be, will there be just one stall or 2. I like to think of what my horse will look like, will I get her a barn buddy like a goat, or another horse.

I go for walks and look at the trail conditions to see if they would make a good bridle trail. (I have been doing that since I was about nine years old)

I also have a wonderful guilty pleasure of watching QVC!! I love that channel. But I have noticed that I am recently getting a little carried away with buying. I know it is just to try and fill up my loneliness, so right now I am taking a break from it.

I read. I play with my pugs. I take them for walks. Which they love and I can't resist their little faces when they are sooo happy to be out doors walking and smelling and running and playing tag!

Sometimes I treat myself to starbucks coffee, or even a trip to mcdonalds for a shake, or to the local bakery for a cookie treat. Just something yummy that I normally do not do for myself. (I have a whole issue with feeling guilt with food, so I feel healthy when I can allow myself to have a sugary treat). I find when I am nice to myself, it helps me be nice to others!

I have enjoyed reading how you guys escape! So many common shared interests!

imallright

Horses are the ultimate escape. Riding or cleaing stalls... they allow you to have space and contact at the same time. Nothing is more healing for me.

Freedom1990

I'm not a horse rider, but I used to muck stalls and clean paddocks out where my youngest trained in dressage for 8 years. I loved being out in the countryside! It was work I truly enjoyed, including hopping on the 40's era Ford tractor and taking the manure spreader out into the fields when it was full! I can't do that work anymore since my back went south on me.

greeteachday

Freedom and Imallright, I had to smile...I'm not the only one who finds scooping horse poop to be such a stress reliever, lol. I love cleaning stalls and just getting into a zone that's so peaceful.