Sunday, February 7, 2021

I Need More Cowbell! (Part 1 of 2)

High up in the Swiss Alps, I had an epiphany of sorts that has stayed with me and continues to help my mental well-being. And it could help yours, too

By Quentin Steen, Representative

September 2017, my wife, Tracy, and I took the trip of a lifetime. We always wanted to go to Europe, so we saved up for a few years. When our three children were old enough to stay on their own, we pulled the trigger.

Tracy’s younger sister, Jackie, and her husband, Jeff, joined us for two weeks. They have been to Europe several times and knew their way around. Couldn’t have asked for any better tour guides. We saw a lot and ate and drank even more.

Our two weeks began in England and ended on the coast of Spain. It was epic. The best part? I stayed on another two weeks on my own.

The other three could not stay because of their work schedules, but I had banked enough vacation days to stay. I managed to cover over 10 countries in under 30 days.

Among the items on my bucket list was hiking the Swiss Alps. I took the train from Munich to Bern, Switzerland, the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

After a couple of days exploring the city, I travelled to Gimmelwald, a small alpine village, accessible by gondola only, that boasts more livestock animals than humans. I won’t get into all the details, but it was awesome.

Over the next two days, I hiked from sunup to sunset, returning to my hostel to enjoy the laughter, accordions, and company of other like-minded travellers recounting their adventures and offering hiking advice over cold pints of beer.

The highlight of my hiking happened on the first day. After arriving at my hostel, I dropped off my belongings and hiked for the next seven hours with no real plan in mind other than going up. I’m not a massive fan of cardio, but the views kept my feet moving.

About halfway through my day, I stopped to rest on a bench on one of the countless mountain vistas, each more spectacular than the last. I opened my backpack to eat the lunch I collected in the village at the beginning of the day.

I’m one of those who doesn’t like to waste time, especially when I had another big ascent in mind. But this time was different. I forced myself to stay and soak in the view. Of course, the various cheeses, fresh baguette, Toblerone chocolate bar, and red wine I consumed over the next 45 minutes helped.

Being surrounded by majestic, lush, green, high-alpine meadows, soaring mountain peaks in every direction, quaint villages dotting the landscape, and the odd paraglider flying overhead were beyond anything I expected. Breathtaking!

That’s when I heard it in between my nibbles of cheese and sips of wine.

It was a faint whisper at first. I thought it might be related to a combination of wine and high altitude, but it wasn’t.

Then I heard it again. It was as if some benevolent force had snuck up behind me, slowly took a seat next to me, leaned over, and quietly whispered in my ear. This time louder and unmistakable. It was one simple, seemingly insignificant sentiment made up of four words: “You need more cowbell.”

I’d heard the phrase a year earlier, not on a hike but on my living room couch watching a Saturday Night Live (SNL) skit. To this day, it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

But this time, it wasn’t my funny bone that was tweaked. This time was different; it was profound.

I grabbed for my bottle of wine and block of cheese—I do that sometimes when I hear voices in my head.

Mid sip, I heard it again but this time louder and with more conviction, as if the voice was saying this is not one of your daydreams or a hallucination leading to a psychotic episode. This is real, and it’s for you. You need more cowbell!

So, what does that even mean, especially during these times? Cowbell moments can look very different for one person to the next, but they are essential for your mental well-being.

In next month’s Mental Health Moment, we’ll look at what you need more cowbell could mean for you. Before then, you might want to watch SNL’s Cowbell skit.

Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

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Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions.
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I Need More Cowbell! (Part 1 of 2)

3 Mental Health Resources to Help You During the Pandemic

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