How Plowing Snow Keeps Me From Going ‘Mental’

It’s so great to see the snow. Don’t get me wrong; I have spring fever. I always do!

But, after months of dry weather and concerning fires throughout our region — it’s just great to have the moisture. I’m keeping myself busy plowing 2 miles of a private road amidst running the newspaper during some pretty crazy times. Recently, as I was driving my tractor back and forth down the road, I thought, What would I be doing if I wasn’t up here in this beautiful place?

I am the type of person who always needs to stay busy. My friends and family can attest. I ALWAYS have a project in mind. I have so many projects in mind that I can’t possibly get them all done!

I realized (while I was plowing) that I keep myself busy to distract myself from life’s daily stresses. While I focus on not getting stuck while plowing, it distracts me from all the stuff that consumes my brain on a day-to-day basis. Running a business is not easy. And, owning a news organization takes constant mental attention.

My mountain property has been, and probably will always be — my escape.

Folks, we are in a mental health crisis today. I know so many people struggling with stress, sadness, and complete dissatisfaction with how they live their lives daily. I feel it too. I think most of us do. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t.

I can say, in my case, at times I enjoy utter silence on “my mountain.” It’s my way of meditation and focusing on what I want my life to look like next week, month, year, and beyond. I visualize it and focus on how to do it.

And, since North Forty News is a solution-driven news organization dedicated to helping Northern Colorado communities, we have published hundreds and hundreds of articles about others who are making a difference. We have been running a regular series about mental health awareness, labeled “On Edge.” A HUGE shout out to Summitstone Health Partners for helping us get that done!

I hope the positive stories help even just one person achieve their personal goals or improve their life through even a single sentence that we write. If you feel stressed, unhappy, or plain down — don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, family, or give our friends at Summitstone a call at 970-494-4200. They will help you, even if it just means getting something off your chest!