For as much mental clarity as running gives me, I hadn’t felt driven to do it much anymore. Which is strange because running and going outside are things I used to crave. That’s how I’d escape the world and all its stress. Because it gave me a predictable amount of time where I knew people couldn’t get ahold of me.
That used to be “me time.”
But over the past few years, as I’ve rebuilt my life and created better boundaries, I haven’t needed it in the same way. It’s just… kind of baked in now? For example, I get up early so I can have slow, “me time” mornings. The problem is that I haven’t found ways to rebalance my love of running and the outdoors with this rebuilt way of being… yet.
I used to be very active… and I’m not anymore. Before my traumatic brain injury, I worked, lived, and socialized in the world of outdoor sports. Then, after the accident, I’d hoped I could love the outdoors again in ways where my livelihood wasn’t attached to it. And I haven’t been able to recover that, which is hard. Repercussions hit my social life too. Ultimately, this is what led to feeling isolated. Which is why I’m so focused on becoming better at communicating.
This episode of The Unobstructed Podcast is a personal reflection on self-discovery, communication, and personal growth. I get into my self-inflicted social isolation as well as my changed relationship with the outdoors. You can listen via Substack and also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
onward.
-dmac
P.S. If you’ve felt torn between choosing creativity or stability like I was, sign up for my daily email series, BUDS, to learn more about The MAP Year Project.