CPT Mike M. 33558 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>We're all human.  Under the right (or wrong) circumstances we can all "hit the wall" with productivity and need to have a chance to go into a mental reset.  What do you do to help get yourself back into a productive mindset while on a long period of leave?  Do you have destressing hobbies?  Just like to do nothing and "veg out"? 2014-01-06T07:53:46-05:00 CPT Mike M. 33558

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>We're all human.  Under the right (or wrong) circumstances we can all "hit the wall" with productivity and need to have a chance to go into a mental reset.  What do you do to help get yourself back into a productive mindset while on a long period of leave?  Do you have destressing hobbies?  Just like to do nothing and "veg out"?

2014-01-06T07:53:46-05:00 2014-01-06T07:53:46-05:00 SFC Michael Hasbun 33569

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I'm a big fan of Archery, but on lazy days there's nothing better than a good book! And by book I mean paper, not them newfangled screens ;)

2014-01-06T08:35:21-05:00 2014-01-06T08:35:21-05:00 SFC Josh Watson 33570

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I like to "get away" . Not check my email and only answer the phone or text machine when I know it's important (verified through a voice mail).  Just concentrate on the important things like my family and my future.

2014-01-06T08:35:34-05:00 2014-01-06T08:35:34-05:00 MAJ Joseph Parker 33620

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><p>CPT Miller: Military personnel receive 30 days paid vacation a year for a good reason! Seldom do folks in the "world" get a vacation benefit like that until they've been with a company for 15-20 years or more.</p><p><br></p><p>Doing "whatever" with family has always been the best way for me to refit and rearm. I get to pour love into them 24/7; and they pour it back several times over because there are more of them than me. It's a great "deal to heal". If it's an actual activity, fishing works for me. It's not so much the actual catching of the fish.  It's the quiet! No phones, no panicky subordinates (or superiors) running around in circles with their hair on fire yelling "What do we do? What do we do?". Just quiet waves and maybe the excitement of a child or grandchild catching something. </p><p><br></p><p>ONE HINT from a guy who travels a lot. When at a destination I always buy a metric boatload of picture postcards and colorful stamps. Then every night I take 10-15 minutes to write 5 postcards and mail them to family. Helps me from feeling sorry for myself and keeps family and extended family very happy. The cards are still arriving when I get home and it gives us something to talk about. Fellow vets: my children, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters STILL have postcards I sent to them even 20 years ago from war-torn Rwanda, Angola, Mozambique, Zaire, you name it. To them those cards are treasures. To me they were 15 minutes of daily sanity during an insane assignment. Anyway, it worked for me.</p>

2014-01-06T11:01:11-05:00 2014-01-06T11:01:11-05:00 CPT Private RallyPoint Member 33621

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>There's nothing better in this world than finding a nice piece of open land, and blowing away the beer bottles and gallon jugs you've collected through the week with some hot lead. Each trigger pull is essentially blowing away a trouble or frustration during the week. Lately I've even gotten the wife to enjoy it! Albeit with her wimpy .22LR Sigg Mosquito, it still counts.

2014-01-06T11:03:58-05:00 2014-01-06T11:03:58-05:00 SSG Christopher Freeman 33624

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Well I just took 20 days of much needed leave to El Paso and it was just what I needed. the food is great and there is always something to. I even went skiing. For me, recharging the batteries is doing something outside the box, such as skiing.

2014-01-06T11:06:43-05:00 2014-01-06T11:06:43-05:00 Sgt John Henry 33627

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>When I was on leave I would always spend quiet time with family.  And old friends.

2014-01-06T11:14:13-05:00 2014-01-06T11:14:13-05:00 Jordan Gaudard 33655

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Sir,<div>Very good question and kinda hard to answer.  I try to split my leave between doing a good reset and visiting family.  I don't know about anyone else, but family is as stressful as work, if not more but it is once of those necessary evils. As far as time to myself, grab a 6 pack of beer and get into whatever computer game I am into at the time.</div>

2014-01-06T12:02:36-05:00 2014-01-06T12:02:36-05:00 LCpl Mark Lefler 33656

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Take my wife and kid and visit my parents, not so much for my parents as I just loved walking around my home town at christmas.

2014-01-06T12:04:34-05:00 2014-01-06T12:04:34-05:00 MSG Bobby Usina (Retired) 33657

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Since I have been stationed in Germany for the last 3 years I find that traveling Europe has been the best thing I do to "recharge the batteries". Since it is just me and the wife we can travel easily and cheaply and it gets my mind off of anything to do with work. 

2014-01-06T12:09:29-05:00 2014-01-06T12:09:29-05:00 SSG Robert Burns 33668

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>SLEEP!!!!!!

2014-01-06T12:28:00-05:00 2014-01-06T12:28:00-05:00 CPT Private RallyPoint Member 33694

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Spend time with family, work out, hike/climb, sleep.&lt;br&gt;

2014-01-06T13:04:10-05:00 2014-01-06T13:04:10-05:00 WO1 Private RallyPoint Member 34114

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>My wife and three beautiful children. Stress doesn't exist when they're around; HA(!)well, it's minimal.

2014-01-07T08:14:28-05:00 2014-01-07T08:14:28-05:00 2014-01-06T07:53:46-05:00