┌(▀Ĺ̯▀)┐Nº168 Beat the heat & address stress! 🌞🥵

Hallo!

I'm back on track and sending this weekly missive from stiflingly hot central Florida. I'm out here visiting my kids Otto & Mira and, if you follow me on Instagram, you've have seen we're working on a new crate built by Lester Cycles for them to ride in on the back of our Tern GSD. We're getting it back from a local powder coat shop later today and will mount it on the bike with some custom seating that I helped upholster at Silver Machine in Amsterdam.

Making this unique seating solution has been a fun project and something that, overall, has helped me address stress that these trips create.

“Stress can actually help you focus better and can be positive. Having small amounts of stress can stimulate you to think. Being able to manage your stress is key.” ~Frank Long

Not only nearly monthly transatlantic travel to see my kids stresses me out. Everything from running a business, owning a coworking space, professional obstacles, personal hurdles, parenting 6 kids and the list goes on. Finding a way to not only survive but thrive in the face of it all, can be daunting.

This week, as I cycle through +90°F / + 32°C temps baking in the blazing sun through the most dangerous place to bicycle in America, I thought of ways to beat the proverbial heat and I came across some ideas from Sujan Patel:

⏲️ Take Time for Yourself – but actually do nothing & Let your mind wander. I bend the rules here and find this headspace with my hands on the handlebars
🗣️ Peer Groups – It puts things into perspective for you when someone is dealing with something truly monumental, or to see that others are having the same struggles as you. For me, I've always found this solidarity in cycling
🏃 Physical Activity – haha, cycling wins again. Whatever you do, Just 5-10 minutes of something physical each day can have a profound impact on your mood, stress, and anxiety.
😴 Get Better Sleep – turns out, if you don't snooze: you love. I've written about this a lot. Rest is best!
🗅 Empty the Tank – for Sujan, this means skydiving or racing cars and motorcycles. For me? It is cycling but more recently less crits & velodrome match sprints but rather bikepacking adventures in remote places. Nothing clears the mental slate like hike-a-bike! ; )
😫 Don’t Story-Build – don't let one small problem or issue snowball into many other what-ifs and hypothetical scenarios. Tackle tasks one by one.
😎 Don’t Be Afraid to Ignore Conventional Wisdom – quick fixes and common solutions aren't one size fits all. Of course I'll advocate for cycling but you do you!

Hope that helps!

As always, thank you for reading : )

with appreciation,

Jon

p.s.

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