“I thought of that while riding my bike” is the oft-quoted response from Albert Einstein as to how he came up with the theory of relativity. And while most of may not have a world-changing idea floating around our head, I can attest to the value of riding for thinking and clearing the mind.
Without going into detail, suffice to say that it’s been a fairly traumatic couple of months for me personally. In these situations you can (and should) talk to your friends and family as they are invariably good for bouncing thoughts off, or just being there while you vent. But time alone is pretty important too, to work through things in your head as well.
As well as those quiet times at home (e.g. just before going to sleep), I find that I mix a number of physical ways to get some solitude. Sometimes it’s going for a run, sometimes it’s taking the dog for a walk (although she can create her own distractions sometimes…), and sometimes it’s hopping on a bike and rolling out the kilometres.
Different people will have different favourites styles of biking; it could be getting out on the road or mountain bike, or just going for a cruisy spin through a park or around town. Pick whatever works for you. One of the advantages of a number of the new cycleway routes is that they remove you from the constant threat of traffic, so that you truly can be with your own thoughts (and not trying to negotiate the next dubious driver in a car…).
We all know how important cycling is for our physical health and fitness. Perhaps what many of us don’t always appreciate is how well it can also help to look after our mental health as well. Take care everyone…
Spot on Glen, that’s definitely true for me. Much easier to relax your mind when you don’t have to look out for crazy drivers indeed.
When I cycle long distances (while touring for instance), I find I manage to almost reach a meditative state where I hardly think of anything at all! I wish I could reach that state more often while riding in the city too.
I spend a lot more time cycling from my home into the city now as a way of chilling out when I don’t need a long ride.
This is all down to having the Quarrymans trail virtually outside my house. If it wasn’t for the trail I wouldn’t do this. It feels pretty good to have submitted to the Share an Idea project so many years ago and now see it all come to fruition.