Message Regarding Your Mental Health: Rediscover Your City and Take a Minute to Breathe

We often forget to stop and take a breath. With all the obligatory tasks like putting a roof over our heads, feeding and clothing our families and climbing the corporate ladder, taking time for self is easily forgotten. I learned this this past weekend, one of the best I have had in a long time. It started with Saturday and a friends suggestion that I join her and a few others for a trip to the Santa Monica Pier.

Ive been an Angeleno for ten years, living in the San Fernando Valley. So I instinctively hesitated, imagining that horrible drive down the dreaded 405 and the ever challenging quest to find any affordable parking, and ideally parking that was not over a mile away from my destination. Just the thought made me groan, but eventually I agreed. The plan was to leave early enough that we could potentially avoid traffic and already full parking lots. Despite my initial reticence, it turned out to be an amazing day. I had no idea that a breath of fresh air was so necessary for me, and Im so glad that I went.

Starting in Santa Monica, we headed down the path towards Venice. The sky, a grayish blue with the sun peeking out from behind a cloud every once in a while, made for pleasant weather. It was a fairly warm LA winter day. And as an added bonus, it was still the off season and the tourists had not yet come down for Spring Break and summer fun.

In the last two years, I have hardly spent any time in Santa Monica. The occasional trip to the Third Street Promenade when hosting out-of-town guests or on my way somewhere else and making a quick stop for a pick-up were the only reasons. Spending an entire day at the beach, I was reminded of why I love Los Angeles and why I live here.

Revisiting the Venice Skate Park, strolling past the basketball courts and Muscle Beach, I am reminded of what a great city I live in. One of the largest melting pots in America, Los Angeles plays host to a diverse group of people from all walks of life. Any and everything you could possibly imagine is right here, somewhere in this city. The opportunities and possibilities are endless.

On this beautiful day, people were riding bikes, roller skating, training in acrobatics, climbing ropes, playing volleyball and everything else on the beach and boardwalk. To top it off, an event I never heard of called SmorgasburgLA had a pop-up that day on the pier. Multiple food and crafts vendors packed the small space like sardines to sell their products. Everyone from the casual to the chic stood in line for over an hour, waiting to taste the shrimp and rice served in a hollowed out pineapple from Shrimp Daddy. I took the liberty of testing out the pok bowl at The Pok Shack and was not disappointed. It was genuinely a good day to be out and about in the city. That evening the activities continued. With a trip to a Cuban speakeasy in Hollywood, La Descarga, we walked through a small closet and entered a world of burlesque-style salsa performances, cigars, live music, and a chic atmosphere. Drinks, dancing, cigars? It truly was a great end to an amazing day!

With all the chaos happening in the world and in our personal lives, it is imperative that we all take a day to just be. A day to rediscover your city. Fall in love again with the things you used to do or find new gems to enjoy. It will provide perspective and peace of mind. Taking the time to relax, unwind, and not think about work troubles, dating sagas, or whatever new tragedy is unfolding in the world will do wonders for your mind and soul. I implore you, in whatever city you live in, to take a break. Your mental health and well-being depend on it.