Look past the in your face news coverage of EVERY motorcycle death that seems to happen and you’ll find the positive side of riding. Sept 10, 2019 is World Suicide Prevention Day . Motorcycles can play a role in stress reduction and mindfulness. Additionally, there have been other other posts have been written on stress reduction and motorcycles.
Earlier this year, we saw CYCLEWORLD highlight a study (Funded by Harley Davidson) that emphasized the positive impact that motorcycle riding can have. Increased focus, deceased stress, and even increased heart rate (similar to light exercise).
Suicide prevention is a serious topic that should gather as much attention as the traffic accidents and other unfortunate accidents that tend to be all to easy targets for local media. Considering that someone takes their own like roughly every 40 seconds , therefore, anything that could reduce that value is a good thing.
High Risk Category: Suicide Prevention
Being in the midlife category and male, I’m among the higher data points for death by suicide. Life takes its toll on us. Suicide prevention means identifying how you can help and how you can be mindful of what is good and meaningful in your life. Whether your ride for the the thrill of twisting that throttle or you just enjoy the wrench time that accompanies bike ownership, take pride in it.
Find Your Reason
Get out and chase a sunset or explore a lost highway. Maybe visit long lost friends. Whatever the reason you have to ride, take pride that its a positive in your life and not the negative (killer) that the media makes it out be.
For me, a simple 40-60 minute ride is all I need to “clear my head”. Throttle therapy its called. Not out to prove a point or to terrorize a neighborhood. We all have an overload of input in today’s overly connected life. Social media, constant negative news blasts, work stress, and even changing health. As a result, middle aged men represent a high risk category.
Jump on , fire it up, and ride it out.
