Awake again

Been a long, long time since my last blog entry. That is in no small way linked to the fact that working full time in a demanding job saps the mental stamina.
It seems that the normality of working life, combined with more work than is strictly reasonable, will begin to reduce the capacity of the brain, once the working day comes to an end and it kicks in to recovery mode.
Despite not yet having descended to the depths of watching television to chill the mind of an evening, the mental wanderings of a relaxed state of existence have, to a large extent, departed.
The cause of this sudden realisation is an email from a friend. He has just arrived in Auckland (New Zealand) and has posted photos online. Seeing familiar sights of Auckland, complete with blue skies, I was immediately transported back a year, to being in NZ and probably more relaxed than I have ever been.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not exactly the world’s most stress ridden or uptight person, but I appreciate how little space there is in my head at the moment to simply contemplate life and my surroundings from a wider perspective. Being able to step around your life and view it from another angle is often all that is required to improve both your life and yourself. Also the ability to return to what is really important is invaluable. To a frightening degree, working hard reduces the mental capacity to achieve this, or even consider it’s importance.
Whether it is possible to relax the mind to the extent which can be achieved when spending six months travelling around and living in a tent is, perhaps, a moot point. I suspect that it is impossible. However, giving the mind the time to recover from the strain of work, as well as allowing it the opportunity to meander through uncharted waters is vital.
Much as the email I received today made me yearn to be back in New Zealand, living a very simple life with nothing but a rucksack full of gear, it also provided the nudge I needed to make me realise how much the mind needs to roam.
Roam more, even if it’s only in your head.