Is it true that going on vacation makes you feel better physically because you are more relaxed and away from the stresses of our daily routines? When you partake in a physical activity (like golf) with old friends who you haven’t seen in a long time, is it true that you tend to play better because you feel the warmth of their friendship and you hit the ball better and more consistently?
Who knows the answer to either of these questions? The results aren’t data-driven. There are no statistics to tabulate, no machine to run the numbers to prove “yes” or “no.” All we’ve got is our gut and emotions to tell us that our mindset or health improves in certain environments based on how we feel.
The answer to both questions, in my book, is “yes.” I based that on personal observation and experience.
For example, a number of years back I was dealing with regular calf muscle strains and cramps. Running regularly, I would pull up lame and limp home. There were periods I could run my normal routes, then suddenly everything would lock up.
During that time, I went on a vacation to California to catch up with college buddies I had not seen in a few years. Change of scenery. Change of climate. Hanging out with friends.
I went jogging twice in the hills that surrounded my friend’s home. The air was dry, the sky cloudless, the smells of the desert wafting through your nose. I felt super.
Nothing hurt. I ran hard, faster and longer than I would have back home. My energy level rose.
Maybe it was the weather or atmosphere, who knows? And that’s what makes proving any of these ideas improbable – you can’t quantify all the variables. Can you specifically target what it is that causes these improvements in your mood or physical sensations?
This past summer I played golf fairly regularly, once or twice a week. The scores are irrelevant, other than to note how irregular and inconsistent my game was. Good shot, bad shot. Decent round, horrible round. Something would work, then it wouldn’t.
One can argue that this is typical of golf (even for the pros), and about life in general. There are ups and downs. Good days and bad ones. You roll with the bad, figure out what you did wrong and try to fix it. The good days you revel in.
A couple of months back, I went to a golf reunion with buddies I’d played softball with 45 years ago. Stepping on the course there was a transformation, a relaxed state that took over my game. I played with one of my closest friends from that period of my life, and shots on the course came effortlessly, going where I wanted them to go, adding extra distance and direction to most that I hit.
Was this because you return to a time in your life that things were simpler, you don’t have to think as much and you just hit the ball? Who knows?
Data will not prove what relaxes you mentally and emotionally. Statistics can’t demonstrate “what” improved your golf game or made you run faster. But I do know that ridding yourself of worries, seeing friends and breaking from your routine are all healthy for the spirit.
Who knows the answer to either of these questions? The results aren’t data-driven. There are no statistics to tabulate, no machine to run the numbers to prove “yes” or “no.” All we’ve got is our gut and emotions to tell us that our mindset or health improves in certain environments based on how we feel.
The answer to both questions, in my book, is “yes.” I based that on personal observation and experience.
For example, a number of years back I was dealing with regular calf muscle strains and cramps. Running regularly, I would pull up lame and limp home. There were periods I could run my normal routes, then suddenly everything would lock up.
During that time, I went on a vacation to California to catch up with college buddies I had not seen in a few years. Change of scenery. Change of climate. Hanging out with friends.
I went jogging twice in the hills that surrounded my friend’s home. The air was dry, the sky cloudless, the smells of the desert wafting through your nose. I felt super.
Nothing hurt. I ran hard, faster and longer than I would have back home. My energy level rose.
Maybe it was the weather or atmosphere, who knows? And that’s what makes proving any of these ideas improbable – you can’t quantify all the variables. Can you specifically target what it is that causes these improvements in your mood or physical sensations?
This past summer I played golf fairly regularly, once or twice a week. The scores are irrelevant, other than to note how irregular and inconsistent my game was. Good shot, bad shot. Decent round, horrible round. Something would work, then it wouldn’t.
One can argue that this is typical of golf (even for the pros), and about life in general. There are ups and downs. Good days and bad ones. You roll with the bad, figure out what you did wrong and try to fix it. The good days you revel in.
A couple of months back, I went to a golf reunion with buddies I’d played softball with 45 years ago. Stepping on the course there was a transformation, a relaxed state that took over my game. I played with one of my closest friends from that period of my life, and shots on the course came effortlessly, going where I wanted them to go, adding extra distance and direction to most that I hit.
Was this because you return to a time in your life that things were simpler, you don’t have to think as much and you just hit the ball? Who knows?
Data will not prove what relaxes you mentally and emotionally. Statistics can’t demonstrate “what” improved your golf game or made you run faster. But I do know that ridding yourself of worries, seeing friends and breaking from your routine are all healthy for the spirit.
