On implementing nature therapy in your routine 🌿☀️
No matter what climate you live in, it's time to take advantage of one of God's best healers... The great outdoors!
For years, I underestimated the power of spending time outside.
Growing up in Ohio, the freezing winter months didn’t let me spend much time outdoors. If I wanted to take advantage of beautiful weather in Ohio, it’d have to be during the summer and early fall.
As I grew up, though, I found myself spending less and less time outdoors.
There’s something about adulthood that slowly sucked my love of nature out of me - I used to spend hours in the woods, but suddenly I couldn’t figure out what was so great about trying to fit nature into my routine.
I mean, why on earth would I choose to let ants crawl all over my laptop while I’m trying to type? Why would I choose to be squinting and dripping in sweat while reading? Why would I choose to have my hair flying all over my face while I’m trying to focus?
Then, in 2019, I moved to Texas.
In Texas, the weather is nicer throughout the year than it is in Ohio, although it does get much hotter in the summer - sometimes unbearably so. The switch to a climate that allowed me to spend more time outside in the darker months, though, had a dramatic impact on my productivity, mental health, and fitness.
Even as the days grow shorter in the winter months, the warmer temperatures allow me to go outside during the day. The extra sunshine wakes me up and helps me get the Vitamin D I need.
What’s interesting is we often use “vacation” as an excuse to spend more time outdoors. Think about it: when you go on vacation, you might check out a national park, enjoy a beach, or go skiing. Even if you go to Disney World or a new city, a lot of your vacation time is spent strolling around outdoors.
Why?
Scientific studies show that spending time outdoors reduces our likelihood of developing multiple health issues, including “stroke, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, asthma, and coronary heart disease.” In fact, people who spend time outdoors are more likely to self-report good health overall.1
Perhaps, since being outside makes us healthier, it also leaves us feeling refreshed.
As a busy adult, though, how can you be sure to get in enough outdoor time for your well-being?
As a remote worker, here is how you can ensure you spend some time outside regardless of the weather…
When the weather is nice, find a space to work outside. This could be your own back porch or the patio at a local coffee shop. Even a couple hours of fresh air can really wake you up and leaving you feeling more focused and productive.
If it’s too cold to work outside, prioritize getting bundled up and taking a brisk walk. Twenty to forty minutes of exercise and fresh air each morning or evening can keep you sane during the dark winter months.
If it’s too hot to work or exercise outside, take twenty minutes each day to just sit outside in the morning or evening when it’s coolest. Let the sun soak into your skin and give you that Vitamin D!
And assuming the weather is nice enough to be outside for longer stretches, here are some things that you can do outside without feeling unproductive…
As I mentioned above, turn your outdoor time into your exercise time! Go for a run, take your kids for a bike ride, go for a swim or a hike - you get the picture.
Also mentioned above: if you can work outside, I strongly recommend doing so! I find that my best ideas often come when I’m outdoors.
Read or study outside. I have a mobile hammock, which I love, because I can hang it up in a park, crawl in, and read a good book. Studying, completing a Bible study, and spending time in prayer are other tasks you can take outside.
Enjoy your meals outside. Take your breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner outside. If you don’t have a table, just sit on a blanket or towel! It’s so worth it to get in your outdoor time.
Practice a hobby outside. This could mean picking up an outdoor hobby, like birdwatching or hiking, or taking a traditionally indoor hobby outside, like knitting, painting, or practicing an instrument!
If you’re trying to take a break from work or spend some time resting, hammocking is an awesome way to chill outside. I find that closing my eyes and focusing on leaves rustling in the breeze brings me a lot of peace, but you could also play soft music while you relax.
To ensure I get in my outdoor time, I remind myself each day that it’s absolutely necessary to my health. Set a specific reminder time if you need it - for instance, make dinnertime your signal to reflect on whether you’ve spent enough time outdoors that day. If you haven’t, you can be sure to get those minutes in before the end of the day.
Don’t miss out.
While my nature time is good for my health, it’s also rapidly become my favorite part of each day! As humans, we’re so blessed to call beautiful Earth our home - so don’t forget to take advantage of it. 😊
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https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6562165/#:~:text=Meta%2Danalysis%20results%20showed%20increased,related%20outcomes%2C%20and%20respiratory%20mortality.
Love this. Listening to it sitting on the back deck of a hotel looking at the ocean - very apropos