Whirling like a hamster in a wheel, my mind has been nonstop. I can’t sleep. I’m filled with anxiety. Overwhelmed. I’ve been out of work before, but this time’s been brutal. The amount of information thrown at me has been too much to bear.

Get your LinkedIn page updated. Oh, not like that, like this. Post something every day to bring up visibility. No, not that content, this content. You need a nice profile picture. No, not that one. Get a professional head shot done. It’ll work wonders. No, really. Looks are everything. Don’t look old – look young! Oh, your resume sucks. Update it. No, you have too much experience listed. Cut it to the last few jobs. Nothing before 2005. You have to tweak it for each job you apply to. What? It doesn’t match your LinkedIn profile? We can’t have that. Wait a minute. You’re old. Younger workers have the edge. No, younger workers keep getting fired because they don’t know how to work, so older workers are taking their place. You need keywords in your resume so the Automatic Tracker will evaluate your resume properly. What? No one’s interviewed you? Why not? It must be blah, blah, blah…

On and on it goes. It’s tiring. Ego-busting. And oh, so VERY frustrating!

I’ve been on webinars. I’ve read articles. I’ve followed instructions. I’ve had my resume professionally evaluated and changed. I’ve fixed my LinkedIn profile so many times that I don’t even recognize myself anymore. I’m not even sure about my resume. Changed that so many times I actually have about 30+ versions of it. It’s insane.

Whatever happened to the days when a person actually looked at your resume, saw what you were capable of and called you in for an interview? That happened to me in my last job. Had a whole bunch of interviews. I wasn’t any more or less qualified for similar positions then as I am now, but the whole landscape of job searching has changed so much, who knows what to do anymore?

As I was driving myself down a new path of crazy, a really good friend of mine called. Kate asked me to take a hike with her on the Appalachian Trail.

Now, before you think I’m one of those through-hikers trekking along 2,190+ miles of trails who’s going to sling a 50-pound backpack over my shoulders and wheeze my way through rocky, perilous, lonely paths with no access to toilets or showers, she had something much more modest in mind. The AT runs alongside my town, and a trailhead is a mere 5-minute drive away.

So last Wednesday was a gorgeous morning. Cool, but not cold. A late winter’s sun blossomed in the sky, rising over the mountain ridges that surround my town. Kate and I began our walk in earnest. The AT at this point is on top of a ridge, and relatively flat. Quickly, though, it begins a gentle slope upward, with many rocks scattered about. One has to watch their step, or you can go flying.

Though the trees were bare, and a few ponds still hadn’t shed their grey, icy coatings, the pine-scented air refreshed this inside dweller. Birds filled the forest with song. Gentle creaking of trees swaying in the breeze added to the chorus. It was as if nature began to stir from its slumber, welcoming Kate and I to its fold.

After about an hour, we reached a rock scramble with a gorgeous view, pictured above. We could see for miles. When I’m in the town, the mountains hide everything beyond them. Up here, I could see the middle school, a good five or six miles from my house. That, and a few other towns. Some people gathered at the base of this rock scramble to take a breather. We chatted for a few moments, agreeing that today was too nice of a day to sit inside.

Part of me felt guilty that I wasn’t parked in front of my computer relentlessly searching for work. The other part of me wisely chose that taking a break from such confounding activity was actually more productive in the long run. Kate and I caught up on each other’s lives with no interruptions, except to take in the views.

Hiking also provides some challenges that help relieve stress. There are a number of babbling brooks we needed to cross, and finding the right way to do so without falling in is fun. Do I put my foot here or there? Is that fallen log sturdy enough to hold me? Can I leap over it? We laughed every time we figured out where to step, but not once did we get wet. Now, instead of me thinking what to change on my resume, I stopped and saw the forest for the trees.

After two hours, we reached a shelter. It’s a three-sided, roof-topped structure that’s meant to give hikers a bit of a break from sleeping directly on the ground. There’s an outhouse, a bear box, a picnic table and a campfire ring near it. Inside the shelter, there’s a log where hikers can write their names, where they’re from and where they’re headed (not all complete the AT). Some have left a few scattered odds and ends inside. I especially loved the painting and the animal skull!

Once we rested, we headed back the way we came. The forest took on a different view this time, because the sun rose higher and the perspective had changed. Still, it was every bit as beautiful and calming. After long, I heard the sound of cars from a nearby road, signaling the end of our hike.

Later, as I plopped on the couch, a little sore from climbing over rocks and fording streams, I felt entirely refreshed. For a precious few hours, the world went away and I thought of nothing except what surrounded me: nature in all its beauty. I didn’t look for any jobs that day; it would’ve wrecked my sense of fulfillment. I did learn something. That we can’t take what surrounds us for granted. That we need to immerse ourselves in natural beauty, be it woodlands or a local park. It cleanses the soul and uplifts spirits. For I knew tomorrow would be just as ugly as those I’ve experienced as of late, but right now, I was free. And content.