By: Brittany DiRaddo from TETON Sports
Where is personal development on your list of priorities? For me, it’s something I start thinking about AFTER I’ve punched out for the day, picked the dried cheerios up off of the floor, folded the five loads of laundry, and spent an hour trying to figure out common core math because carrying the one isn’t cool anymore. You can guess how often getting all those things done actually happens for me. Add my Netflix addiction to a one-year old that doesn’t sleep through the night and you might understand why personal development hasn’t been at the top of my list. Challenges of a working, quarantined, teacher-Mom.
Stopping to think about my personal development in the past usually meant running a comb through my hair and wondering if it was worth changing out of my pajamas at 3pm (isn’t working from home great). I didn’t stop to focus on my personal wellness until my job asked me to – how crazy is that? How often does your employer care about your wellness MORE than you do? Lucky for me, we were given the opportunity here at TETON Sports to focus directly on our wellness. Not only was it an opportunity, it was incentivized! TETON was allowing me to concentrate on my wellness and they were helping.
My personal development started to matter to me. I made goals. I followed through and I felt SO much better. The biggest step for me was getting myself outside every day. That seems pretty basic right? Wrong. Between working and schooling from home, the NEED to leave my house hasn’t been strong – especially since social distancing has become so necessary in our Covid-19 pandemic. I’ve stayed inside for days, even weeks at a time and it brought my anxiety through the roof more every day. Besides the occasional afternoon drive, I’d stayed inside almost exclusively.
Being outside, even for a short walk, every day, has truly improved my overall wellness and my concentration on personal development. Fresh air, socialization (even 6 feet apart), and physical activity just make me feel better physically and mentally. At TETON, our motto is Get Outdoors and Enjoy Life, but it took me a while to appreciate and fully connect to this idea. I’m so grateful to have a job during this pandemic, but to also have a job that understands and supports such a crucial element of mental and physical survival.
The challenges we’re all currently facing in the world today have made this journey even more unique for me. I’ve found new places to explore that I wouldn’t have initially chosen (if I weren’t trying to avoid every other human in sight). I’ve discovered some truly beautiful places with my family. Striving to improve myself has made me a better wife, mom, and person. I’ve found a passion for adventuring that has given me back my life. As cliché as it sounds, getting outside has motivated me to work on myself daily (instead of only when everything on "the list” is done).
I’ve always tried hard to be the best mom, wife, employee, and teacher that I can. Ironically, when I wasn’t taking time for myself, I was actually less successful. I learned that focusing on my wellness and development improved other areas in my life. Success doesn’t look the same for every person, but we all need to focus on our personal development and wellness. For me, getting outside has done that. Finding the small moments during my day to breathe and reset has saved me. Whether it’s a quick neighborhood walk, a hike in remote areas, or playing in the backyard with my kids, being outside has truly been a refreshing way for me to enjoy life
About the Author:
Brittany DiRaddo is an admired, inspiring individual here at TETON Sports. She is a great leader, friend, and co-worker.
