How do you destress

[Dave A]

One of the biggest hazards of running a business is stress. It just goes with the territory. Pounding away, day after day, trying to turn a buck.

If you don't manage it somehow, it is only a matter of time before you burn out. It's a problem that is easy to ignore amid all the demands that a business brings – but you ignore it at your peril. You have to have a plan.

So how do you destress?

What works best for me is to take a break at Mhlopeni Nature Reserve, for a few reasons.

• It's only two hours away – far enough to be away, but not too far (if you know what I mean).
• Most of the reserve has no cellphone reception. It makes a great excuse if someone is ticked off because they couldn't get hold of me on my cellphone, and it removes the temptation to just leave it on.
• You're forced to slow down to nature's natural pace.

Somehow going shopping just doesn't do it for me. There is the hustle bustle. The queues. Finding parking. The expense!
And it is only a matter of time before the novelty of those new goodies wears off.

The really cheap solution is just sitting at home idling away time. But it's only a matter of time before I start watching TV, and that certainly does not do the trick.

There is something special about settling into a Bush camp, lighting the fire, cracking a beer and just watching nature breath.
Walking up to a ridge with a great view of the valley in the morning and just whiling away the time watching nature pass by.

It fixes me in no time. Just marvelous.

So what works best for you?

[Blurock]

Agreed, Dave. Burnout happens quicker than you can imagine.

I see many business owners never taking a break because they just can not let go.

A well deserved break now and then does wonders for the soul. I can recommend Bayete Zulu just past Hluhluwe. The interaction with the elephants will blow your mind!

[Petrichor]

Nothing beats sitting next to a campfire, slowly sipping on a cup of coffee, hearing the sound of nature and absolutely nothing else.

[wynn]

I like to sit at my other office, the local M&B, and people watch for an hour or so, that helps, more interesting than trying to see wild animals that have a habit of hiding from you.

[nkawit]

One of the biggest hazards of running a business is stress. It just goes with the territory. Pounding away, day after day, trying to turn a buck.

And turning you grey ....

So how do you destress?

CTSASA - Clay Target Shooting
SADPA - Defense Pistol Shooting

If anyone is in Cape Town, Southern Suburbs and wants to join in for a round or two of clays just drop me a PM.

[Norri]

Exercise - keeping in good shape - helps a lot for me. We've just started P90X and we're only a few days in but I already feel a ton better. When we used to do Capoeira, that helped a lot! When you're in THAT much pain from exercise, you forget about work issues :P

Also, meditation - daily at least - has been the best stress-relief for me. But I have yet to find a nice program to use every day. I had a 30 day one that got boring after the initial 30 days. The effect DURING the 30 days was nothing short of awesome Helped me cope through a hectic time when I had far more work than I could handle.

[tec0]

Normally stress keeps one motivated and sharp but too much stress and one can hit that all time low. A combination of music, fishing, cartoons and sleeping pills seems to work best for me.

Music > I highly recommend you go only for what you like. I enjoy Melodic Metal.

fishing > As in actually fishing… How is the Fishing at Mhlopeni Nature Reserve?

Cartoons > I highly recommend roadrunner but again it is up to personal taste.

Sleeping pills > "whatever the doctor is willing to give you will do… but Get S3 or if you lucky S4 is better"

[Newretailer]

I meditate or go and visit the Walter Sisulu botanical garden. It feels like you are very far away from JHB. A brisk walk helps too. Then again, when I am really busy, I don't seem to get time for any of those.

[wynn]

Norio
I am trying to decide from your new avatar if you are wearing your hair pulled back in a pony tail or have you had a buzz cut?

[Just Gone]

Dikhololo near Britz is a fantastic stress relief for our family - a beautifull getaway in the bush to unwind. The odd game drive also helps to relax a bit followed by sundowners either at a lookout or back at your chalet after starting a nice roaring fire.

[Norri]

Hi Wynn Long time!

I shaved it all off. Much less maintenance and much less stress :P (No such thing as a bad hair day any more!)

[SilverNodashi]

I likeI like to goto the Kruger National Park once a year, for a week or two - depending on circumstances around me. It does me good and my family loves the outing. We love nature and wildlife as well so it's really worth the extra 2hours drive. Plust, reception is only really possible in, or close to camps so I generally don't have reception for a good part of the day either.

[murdock]

my plan for this year...got my bicycle already and a few mates who are keen to cycle

fishing and fast motor cycles were the way to destress in the past...

after watching top gear (vietnam) i has decided to start looking for a small motor bike(125- 500 cc)...fix it up and go on short sight seeing rides...for example take a weekend then head up thru the back roads... stopping as much as possible to enjoy the views...did over 50000 km on my super bike...but never got to see much...so this time a small bike with a group of friends sounds like a fun...destress adventure...my plan is to start off with a small bike...then get a trailer...which can take 4 bikes...travel to further destinations...unload the bikes then ride to a point stay over night then ride till lunch time load up and head home...doing back roads only....no freeways.

[tec0]

my plan for this year...got my bicycle already and a few mates who are keen to cycle

fishing and fast motor cycles were the way to destress in the past...

after watching top gear (vietnam) i has decided to start looking for a small motor bike(125- 500 cc)...fix it up and go on short sight seeing rides...for example take a weekend then head up thru the back roads... stopping as much as possible to enjoy the views...did over 50000 km on my super bike...but never got to see much...so this time a small bike with a group of friends sounds like a fun...destress adventure...my plan is to start off with a small bike...then get a trailer...which can take 4 bikes...travel to further destinations...unload the bikes then ride to a point stay over night then ride till lunch time load up and head home...doing back roads only....no freeways.

I have a similar idea, I have old rusty car I am going to restore throughout the year. Will make it an automatic and add an air-con. Then just hit it… find a road and follow it see where I end up.

No destination just driving as far as I can…

[murdock]

i did a trip into mozambique a couple years ago...got a visa...loaded a boat and as much petrol as we got fit...headed across the border and just travelled until we found a spot to crash...spent a couple days in various location with no set date or time to return...man what a way to destress...no cellphones...no internet...just diving equipment...fishing tackle...baggies...a hat and slops...spent early mornings and late nights on the beach watching the sun come up and go down...drank lots of the local beer...and just did what we wanted to to as it happened...when we had enough we packed up and came home...we were there for a couple of weeks.