Revitalize

We all need it. To refresh, renew and revitalize ourselves is an often overlooked necessity for optimal performance. How to do it is probably different for each individual and at least somewhat contingent on location and available time. For some it may mean going to a movie, for others, a hard workout. And the process can take minutes, days or months, depending on a lot of factors. Here at Gary Dawson Jewelry Design we are proactive in allowing ourselves the opportunity to revitalize to give you the best, most creative jewelry design service available anywhere!
First, I take a little personal time every day. Sometimes it takes the form of a nap, but most often lately it manifests as a long walk. I try to put in somewhere between 20-30 miles a week. This has several benefits. Recent research indicates that walking may be some of the best mental acuity medicine that exists. Dr. Gary Small writes in Psychology Today, “In a study of more than 18,000 older women for example, Harvard researchers found that 90 minutes a week of brisk walking, or approximately 15 minutes a day, was all one needed to delay cognitive decline and reduce possible risk for future Alzheimer’s disease.  University of Pittsburgh scientists found that the more that older people walked, the better their cognitive abilities and the larger their brain.  A larger brain is associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.”
I’m fortunate that I can walk in a rural setting because I can take my smart phone with me and make a lot of my daily business calls during these walks without fighting traffic noise or look up items of interest without worrying about being run over. My walks take a little over an hour and I can accomplish a lot of my more simple daily communication during this time and still have plenty of fairly serene time by just turning the phone off when I’m done with it.
I also need the occasional longer break and for this nearby wilderness areas afford a priceless luxury. Recently, an overnight of car camping in the Willamette National Forest at Waldo Lake, about a 2 hour drive from my home,  provided for skinny dipping in some of the most pure waters on the planet. The chilly dip in gin-clear water followed by hugging a sun-warmed rock was a good grounding point and allowed me to hit the ground running when I arrived back at my overloaded desk.
A short stop at Salt Creek Falls on the way home was a perfect finish to our long weekend!

Remember this, a key factor often lost in our contemporary world is that by taking good care of yourself, you will position yourself to better take care of those that depend on you. That’s why the airlines remind you to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others, and that’s why it’s ok to be a little selfish with your time. So don’t feel bad about it, go take a hike! (Or go to that movie you want to see!)
And know that here at Gary Dawson Jewelry Design, we are refreshed and ready to take on your custom design jewelry project with vigor!

This is the finished ring from a dream mentioned in my last blog post!