As we were discussing earlier, there is a lot of activity that we could participate in that would make us physically active without grinding away in the gym. Our parents and grandparents did a great deal more work by hand regularly than we do. Is it no wonder that we are facing a national crises of activity?
We rely on our car to run to the corner store, to take the kids three blocks to school and in some places, just to go and check the mail. We use vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, washers and dryers and we save tremendous amounts of labor with them. That is their main selling point. Can you imagine living somewhere and having to wash all your dishes by hand? Can you imagine hanging your laundry out on a line to dry?
Why would you want to?
Mentally and emotionally, we disconnect from our daily lives as much as possible. It’s easier for me to type up my thoughts than it is for me to sit down and write it out long-hand. I’ve had to hang my laundry on the line to dry. It’s a lot more work than tossing it into the dryer. I’ve swept my house of wooden floors (once upon a time) when our vacuum wasn’t working – that’s a lot of work too.
But when you do some of this work yourself, rather than relying on the labor-saving devices – you become more in touch with yourself. The activity reduces stress. You become more in touch with what really needs to be done. After all, if you needed to walk to the store to get that one little item – do you really need it that much? Chances are if you don’t want to walk, it’s not that important.
Growing your own garden of vegetables may not feed your household for the year, but the first time you eat your own tomatoes, cucumbers or strawberries – you will find yourself savoring the food. You will enjoy seeing the fruits of your labor grow and become harvested. You will see the results, you will taste the results and you will benefit from the results.
Think about how you feel when you can fix a household problem without calling in an expert or repairman? It’s a mental boost. The more you do for yourself, the more your self-confidence and self-esteem will grow. There is a lot to be said for your mental and physical fitness when you do it yourself.
What do you do you do that is a do it yourself activity? What would you like to do now