Do you ever feel like you just need to get ‘out’? I find that I feel this way and I’m not really sure where to go. I just want ‘out’. I want to get away and leave the current situation. I want a change of pace and scenery. For me this usually means going into nature. I need to see green things, breathe clean air. I need to cut out the stimulation.
At some point, everyone feels this way. The daily grind is wearing you out, and grinding you down. You can’t think clearly. Your productivity is gone, and when you have downtime you have no idea what you are supposed to do. You just want to watch some TV or be entertained because anything else is too much work, and your mind just can’t take it.
Sometimes you get into a rut and you don’t realize that you need to ‘get out’, but something forces a change of pace or an alteration in your routine and you find yourself ‘out’. You have so much god-dammed time in the day you don’t even know what to do with it! Maybe you aren’t supposed to fill it.
You sit and listen to the wind. You watch the leaves rustle. You realize that isn’t a car alarm that you hear but the shriek of a bird. Maybe you hear the roar, or whisper, of the ocean. With no plans, and nothing to fill the time, you ARE. You spend time in the moment, enjoying existence, and just being. So, this is ‘out’. Here are some good reasons to go outside and enjoy nature.
01. Strong bodies
Vigorous outdoor play stretches muscles which signal the body to build more. Play improves hand-eye coordination. Vitamin D, dubbed the sunshine vitamin because that is where we get most of this essential element, is needed for the uptake of calcium in our bodies. Regular experience of the rhythms of nature lowers the blood pressure and makes the body ready
for rest.
02. Strong minds
Close study of insects, plants animals builds the basis of scientific inquiry. Albert Einstein, the greatest mind of the twentieth century, said that if we look deeply into we will understand other things better in the light of it. Direct experience of nature is important to optimal mental development. This is the growth of perception, memory, language, concepts, and thinking in children. Certain kinds of physical movement and experiences which can only be found outdoors help a child mature with all his abilities.
03. Healthy emotions
According to Enjoy the Wild Blog, outdoor gives someone a perspective on the events of the day, reduces anxiety and stress of sitting in school or jobs for long hours. Learning to care for something of the natural world–plant, animal or insect–teaches caring and considering the needs of others.
04. Self-esteem
Learning to climb a mountains, make a snow man, tunnel through leaves, get lost and find your way home, build a fort, find a salamander under a log, watch a sunset till it is all the way down–all these build confidence in our ability to overcome a fear, accept a challenge, or learn to be quiet. In absence of these experiences we tend to feel we are weak or able to function in only certain types of situations.
05. An abiding sense of wonder
Rachel Carson, in A Sense of Wonder, wrote that a sense of wonder has something far more powerful at work than mere delight. Giving us reserves of strength, a sense of proportion and a deep desire to know more. Wonder open our hearts and minds and keeps us from being jaded about life.
So in the future if you’re feeling overwhelmed by work or in need of some clean oxygen, keep in mind to look no further than go outdoors. It’s simple, economical, and brings you a host of inspiring benefits for your mind and body.
Article Written By; Amilia Anderson
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