The other day I saw a man standing in the Fraser River with the cold water up to his groin.  I shuddered just looking at him.  He said that the hip-waders he was      wearing kept out some of the cold and the rest he ignored.  He told me that he loved fishing and would stand there for hours at a time, just casting out the fishing   line and then reeling it in again.

Personally, I can’t imagine anything more boring, but I know that thousands of people love it.  I asked him why he did it.  He replied that he liked to fish where there weren’t a lot of people (I guess that was my hint that he wanted to be left alone).  He said that fishing was very restful and stress-reducing for him.

I thought about what I like to do that was quiet and restful – and stress reducing.  As a Stress Relief Coach, I know lots of tips and techniques to reduce stress, but it was the “quiet” part that I pondered about. 

I love to read and watch movies but even though I may be resting physically, I’m still being stimulated by what I’m reading or watching.  It is not really “quiet” time.

I guess that for me, my ”quiet” time is when I go for walks by myself in nature.  I especially love to walk on the dyke along the Fraser River.  It is so beautiful everywhere I look.  On one side is the river and on the other is the valley, with its farms and fields. All around me are the mountains, lorded over by Mount Baker. 

I used to listen to music or motivational talks when I walked but I don’t any more.  When your mind is being stimulated by music or someone speaking, there is no time to just think and feel. 

This is my quiet time.  When I walk, I look and listen and ponder and pray and just allow myself to be.  I have learned to carry my camera with me because I am always amazed at what I see on my walks and the lessons about life I learn while I am out there.

If you are feeling really stressed, maybe one of the reasons is that you are not giving yourself some “quiet” time.   Try it and let me know how you feel.