Go Outside! Even if it’s just for 20 minutes
There’s a lot going on in the world these days. I don’t need to list the big, scary stuff here as I’m sure it’s all at the front of your mind. That’s the thing isn’t it? We can’t stop thinking about it. Worrying about it. Wondering what we can do? Can we even do anything? You’re just one person, right? And you’re busy as shit! Is it hopeless?
Paraphrasing a joke I heard a while back, “If people really thought the world was ending, the first thing they'd stop doing is recycling. Seriously, if we truly believed the world was ending, who in their right mind would take the time to rinse out that bottle of poppyseed dressing?”
Are you still recycling? Great, there’s hope! Now, I know recycling is a can of worms so for the sake of simplicity I’ll set that debate to the side, for now. The point I want to make is that taking action, such as recycling, is the best (and really only) way to move past worry, fears and doubt. We can think and plot and scheme all kinds of great ideas on how things can be better but until we actually take physical action, none of it really matters. And worse yet, because humans tend towards a negativity bias, we will drain vital energy getting stuck in thought cycles of how and why things probably won’t work.
So now the next obvious question is, what action should I take? This is a great place for the negativity bias to kick into high gear as we start to think of all the “stuff” that needs “fixed” in the world or in our own lives. This is right where we can get pulled into the cycle and end up overwhelmed, burned out or simply paralysed with the immensity of it all. The key is to start with tiny, little, baby steps.
My suggestion; just go outside for 20 minutes. Turn off all the electrical devices you’re able to in your house or office. Lights, TV, ceiling fans, etc. Leave your phone behind if possible. With this action you are conserving energy. Just go outside right now (well read the rest of this first.). It doesn’t have to be an expedition.
When you’re out of doors, pay attention to your breath. Count your inhales and exhales if that helps you to stay present. With this action you are reconnecting with your greater environment. Sadhguru says, “If you do not understand, hold your breath and plug your nose for 2 minutes, then you will see that you cannot survive without the larger atmosphere supporting you, you can not exist for a moment. What you exhale the trees are inhaling, what you inhale the trees are exhaling, every moment of your life.”
Take a walk or simply sit under the tree you are sharing breaths with. Either way this action is bringing increased health to your body and mind. The journal Nature Scientific Reports published a study in June 2019 that stated:
“Those who got in two to three hours in nature (per week) were about 20% more likely to report high overall satisfaction with their lives than those who spent no time outdoors at all. The benefits to physical health were even greater, with those who met the outdoors benchmark being 60% more likely to report being in good health than their cooped-in counterparts.”
So if we take the low end of just 2 hours a week, this means getting outside an average of just 17 minutes a day can improve your overall mental and physical health. Seems silly not to right?
After your 20 minutes take a moment to appreciate what you accomplished. In that short time you took concrete, physical action to:
Conserve energy for the environment
Deepen your connection with the environment
Improve your overall mental and physical health (and possibly your emotional and spiritual health as well)
How was your experience? Did your mood shift? Do you feel less anxious? Worried? Stressed?
So often when life feels frustrating or overwhelming it’s because we’ve allowed our brains to overcomplicate things. We feel pressure to do everything now! When you notice you are feeling tense, worried or anxious try popping out of the cycle of thoughts by taking action and going outside. Reconnect with the environment which sustains you.
Sometimes the most impactful action we can take is also the smallest one because it gets us unstuck and moving forward. And sometimes all we need is a little momentum to change the direction of the day, and quite possibly the future.
