Nature Is Calling: 7 Mood Boosters to Get You Outside

I just returned from a personal writing retreat on Lake Jocassee (photo below). A gorgeous shimmering oasis just across the North Carolina state line, the lake is known for the clean and cold Appalachian mountain rivers that flow into it, keeping it clear year-round.  I walked under the starry night skies, dipped my feet into the shallow pools nestled in the ancient rocks and sat for hours listening to the birds and drinking in the vast stillness. Unplugged, I wrote, rested and challenged my old thoughts (it had been a hard week). This getaway brought me home to myself and I saw this “stepping away” as essential as oxygen.  

Nature opens me up to the now; to the present moment. It allows me to access wisdom and insights I never could have in my fast-paced life. I’m always amazed by the ideas and clarity that surface after a weekend near the water or a day in the cool, dark woods.

Time in nature is often referred to as the ultimate antidepressant because it affects us physically, mentally and emotionally. Being outdoors alleviates stress, positively affects our mood/overall mental health, helps us to “reset,” promotes cognitive functioning, fosters problem solving and creativity, supports work/life balance, stimulates social interactions and helps family connection and intimacy. Whew! Yes, all that!

Spending time in nature should be as natural and regular as breathing. Not something we save for a special occasion–but something that is built into our daily flow.

If it’s been years since you’ve spent time outdoors, or perhaps you feel out of your element chasing bears and mountain lions, consider the following seven ideas to help “get thee outdoors!”:

•Team up. Ask your nature loving friends for advice on local spots, and join them on their next excursion to discover hidden gems in your area.  Maybe you even set up a weekly or monthly “nature date” with family or friends, and rotate which park, trail or natural area you visit (let the kids choose!). 

•Stay close to home. Get to know your own backyard, street, neighborhood park, streams/trails and any natural areas within walking distance. Don’t feel hemmed in by your urban or suburban home turf. Seek out all the green spaces you can find: botanical gardens, sculpture gardens, a rooftop garden, a neighbor’s outdoor space, a school playground, or even an open plaza or square where you can watch the birds and squirrels.

•Plan a picnic. Pack a simple picnic of cold food (whatever is in your fridge), grab a blanket and head to your closest park or green space. Extra points if you’re next to a body of water, which our nervous systems loves.  Everyone loves the spontaneity of picnics on a weeknight or on a lazy Sunday evening.

•Tune into nature’s rhythms. Consider marking the full moon, new moon, or equinox with a hike, outdoor drum circle, or swim — we all love ritual, and it can be a fun, meaningful way to connect to nature’s rhythms. A friend taught me how to walk in the dark; one of my favorite activities now is moonlit walks in the forest when the sky is clear and bright. 

•Create new habits. Make nature a daily or weekly habit. Head to a local park or green space after work to help you unwind before dinner or have your morning coffee on the back porch and make it a point to see what birds are in your backyard. After dinner walks in your neighborhood are relaxing and help everyone prepare for good sleep.

•Tap local groups for help. Contact your state park office and ask about their family or outdoor programs. Also visit the websites for REI, the Sierra Club and the Children and Nature Network — founded by my friend Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods — to learn about family-oriented events in your area.

•Be adventurous. Experience nature’s “wild side” and do something you’ve never done before! National parks are ideal for this, since they preserve our continent’s natural treasures and usually maintain accessible, family- friendly facilities. Or choose an “extreme” activity: go sea kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, zip-lining, rock climbing, snowshoeing. Perhaps consider swapping homes with another family in a natural area you’d like to visit; try using a service like Home Exchange.

Even getting outside at night in a place where you can see the stars — and taking in their amazing vastness — is enough. The experience always reminds me of how small and inconsequential my worries are.

Nature is one of the greatest gifts we have available. In our galaxy, the sun is one of a hundred billion stars. Now how important is it to make sure you finish your laundry and your car gets washed again? Pick up a copy of my book Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life (or download the ebook here) for more  ideas on how to immerse yourself (and your family) in the healing power of nature!

Warmly,

FOUR OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND YOUR CENTER:

• *JOIN ME ON THE SPRING EQUINOX! * Join me March 20-22nd for Awakening Your Wild Soul: Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat at 1440 Multiversity in the CA redwoods (photo above) ~ an embodied spirituality retreat filled with joyful song, pleasureful movement and deep rest with the 1,000 year-old trees; learn more/ register.
• Want support for facilitating women’s groups/retreats? Check out Secrets to Facilitating Life-Changing Women’s Groups/Retreats ~ an online, self-paced training & mentoring course. Only $195. Learn more/enroll here.
• *Available for a limited time* ~ Solace: A Deep Rest Virtual Retreat ~ Winter is the time to go inward and slow down.  You’re invited to rest in stillness. Enjoy this 2.5 hour meditative virtual retreat 24/7 from the comfort of your home. Includes a long Yoga Nidra session. View this offering and all our online retreats here (starting at $49). 
• Live in the Southeast or near North Carolina? Join me in the NC Blue Ridge Mountains for a Wild Souls Adventure: authentic movement classes, community song circles, full moon hikes, meditation/resiliency workshops, women’s circles & more or have me design a custom experience/ritual for your team/friends: learn more. Join us Sunday, March 8th for our next public Wild Souls Authentic Movement class in Brevard, NC; learn more here.