Summer is over and with year-end festivities still to start we are in that bit of a lull as the nights (and weather) draw in.
Despite the descending gloom it also seems the perfect time to get away, a bit of a change before the holiday season starts and as a result, I’ve just got back from a week diving.
This was my first live-aboard dive trip, purely boat-based. Bobbing about on the Red Sea, no land, for a week it was 5 days of four meals a day, not being able to stay awake past 9 pm, and having to face up to the dreaded words: it’s a marine toilet (those who know, know and those who don’t I am not explaining!)… oh yes, and we did some diving too.
Truth be told, it was a great trip—turtles, fishes, and a lot of history with plenty of wrecks in what is a very busy marine shipping route.
However, now I am back and as with all new experiences, a few new things to think about.
Meeting New People.
It was fantastic to get out and spend some time with new people. People I didn’t really know and to have the opportunity to get to know them better.
Most of us spend most of our time in our daily lives talking with the same people, friends, family and colleagues. This is our comfort zone and we tend to know them well. Yes, we also get out to external meetings, events and conferences, but even then we typically share similar backgrounds, jobs and outlook on life.
What was interesting last week, was being able to break this mould and chat with people who live in completely different circles. Yes, there was a common interest (diving) but outside of this, we all came from different perspectives.
This made me realise just how easily we can slip into living in our own echo chamber of views (even when we think we are not).
Like the old-fashioned definition of ‘a community’, last week was different and thoroughly refreshing.
Know When to Stop
Diving can be pretty tiring at the best of times, and with four dives a day, by the end of the week, I was getting pretty exhausted. Maybe there is a point when you get used to it, but I was nowhere near that! (running for the bus this week, I’ve definitely felt fitter mind you – which is good)
Towards the end of the trip, as my tiredness grew, I started to notice mistakes creeping in. Feeling cold, struggling to get fins off, wet suit on, let alone getting up the ladder to get out of the water.
Getting ready for a dive, a chain of events culminated in me pinching my finger in the weight belt buckle, resulting in a dramatic flush of red across the deck. (it looked more dramatic than it actually was).
Now bleeding from an injury is never good, especially at sea. It is not so much that Jaws may be out there (and would be ‘chumming’ the water) but a very real risk of infection that is the immediate concern.
Yet, realising I made a mistake through being tired, my bigger concern was other future potential errors that could await me if I continued… some of which could have much more serious consequences. So I decided to call it a day, stop diving, and just rest… of course, within 24 hours, feeling better I bounced back.
This really made me realise how performance is related to being fresh and rested.
Yes, it is sometimes good to push to get something done, but the more tired you are the harder it is to do something well. Knowing when to stop is key
Mobile Connectivity
Undoubtedly our smartphones are a marvel of the modern world, increasingly we are always connected. However for the first few days, bobbing about on the water, in the middle of nowhere, we had no mobile signal—none at all. It is a pretty rare event these days.
Of course, with no connectivity we all reverted to the old ways of interacting… chatting, making each other tea (the odd biscuit, and strangely Twinkies!) and reading books.
It was all very nice really. Even the anxiety of not knowing what was going on in the rest of the world started to fade as it continued.
Then, as soon as we ventured closer to land we ‘connected’.
Phones lit up with notifications, dumping emails and WhatsApp messages that all “needed” a reply.
The change of mood and dynamics on the boat was stark.
The conversation stopped as we all caught up on messages. Yes, still sitting in a group but engrossed in our phones rather than chatting.
I don’t know how we get this balance right, but it really doesn’t feel like we have it right at the moment… missing out on the information around us, due to the information in our phone… missing out on the community around us due to the community on our phone… somehow the priority need rebalancing.
Back reality
So, some reflections and things to think about now I am back in the world of work.
- Meet new people. Expanding horizons and getting out of the bubble more.
- Knowing when to stop. Stopping to avoid mistakes—it can be costly in the long run – rest can make a big difference.
- Get off the phone. Interact with the world around you—it’s far more interesting.
Back to it this week, somewhat refreshed and hopefully with a spring in my step. It was good to get out, and it’s great to be back.
Have a great week, everyone!
