Hello nature, goodbye stress in the great outdoors
Travel can sometimes get you down, particularly long-term travel. If your travels are getting you down what do you do? Well, the best way is to say hello nature, goodbye stress by getting outside. People set off into the wilderness for different reasons – recreation, exercise or family fun. Did you know that scientific studies over the years have proved spending time out in nature causes stress levels to dissipate. Sometimes even disappear or become totally meaningless. Therefore, if your stress levels are high and your mental health is suffering and this is interfering with your travels, the best thing to do is get into nature.
While living and working in the UK for four years, I found sometimes in the depths of winter I lost focus on my travels. It was during this time I realised getting outside was a great help to me, and is the inspiration for this post to help my fellow travellers, you. In this post I elaborate on the health benefits of getting outside and offer suggestions on how to get outside while you travel abroad.
The Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors
There are a number of benefits to getting outside while travelling abroad, and they are:
1. Nature and Cognitive Benefits
What is cognitive you ask? Well cognitive is activities your brain does like thinking, remembering, imagining, reasoning and using language. These activities are constantly happening in your brain. During the day your brain deals with a lot, it is always absorbing things and can become overloaded and overwhelmed which can mean your cognitive tasks of making decisions become blurred. Simple tasks of making decisions can become hard work and you can lose your focus. Are you having trouble deciding where to travel to next? Hmmmm.
Studies have proven that heading into nature, even for a short time helps let your brain unload and restore its focus. I find a quick walk outside often helps me make decisions. Now don’t think you need to go on a day-hike for this to happen. If you are working while traveling having your lunch break outside in a green space can do the trick. It has been proved there is a powerful connection between natural open spaces and your brain activity. So when things get tough, go outside for a walk ‘to clear your head’.
2. Nature and Mood Benefits
Anxiety, stress, anger and even depression are too common in our world. Studies have shown these conditions are on the rise due to the correlation between our time spent inside behind a computer or TV screen – that could be either working or playing. Even though these moods are unfortunately a part of life nature can help reduce them. Yep, being in nature can help reduce high levels of negative moods. Nature does this because it helps you have pleasant feelings, thus your brain releases ‘happy hormones’ thus lowering stress, fear, anger and depression levels.
3. Nature and The Human Connection
Studies have shown, yes, I’m saying this again, there is a connection between nature and humans. It is a natural thing this connection but sometimes it gets lost because of the modern world we are living in. But the science is there, scientists have been saying it for years – go outside into nature and you will be happier if you do. Connect to nature and in return, say goodbye to stress.
4. Nature can Increase Social Connections
Without knowing getting outdoors and being active outdoors can create and increase social connections. Even though many of us like solo adventures doing things with others outside can lead us to friendships we might not have made otherwise. Maybe you’ll meet other walkers in the park and start walking with them or perhaps join a club and go on social outings outside.
5. Nature and Physical Benefits
As well as the mental connection of being outdoors, when you are doing activities you are gaining physical benefits. By doing activities that increase your heart rate at times, you are helping your health by increasing your fitness and maintaining a healthy body weight. As you do this, you can begin to increase the travel experiences you have. Do you want to climb Mount Fuji, trek the Himalayas – well you need to start by getting outside.
Ways to Get Outside While Travelling
Now you know there are many benefits to you by getting outside while travelling, increasing your time with nature as you travel the world is as simple as incorporating outdoor time into your travels. A lot of things are what the locals do, and doing what the locals do helps you to not look like a tourist. Here’s some suggestions:
- If you can’t get outside into nature, bring nature indoors. Having a plant or a few plants around you that you can look, can help with positive feelings. Maybe start a little garden with some herbs and vegetables. Digging in the dirt is a great way to interact with nature.
- Start walking to work or to the supermarket.
- Sit outside in your back yard. Take your shoes off and let your feet feel the ground underneath. Or look up into the sky – something you can do anytime, day or night.
- Go to your local park and sit amongst the trees in the open space.
- Pack a picnic and sit on a rug enjoying some food and nature at the same time.
- Head to your nearest National Park and go for a walk or hike. It doesn’t have to be a long hike. And this can be a great way to build your physical fitness while de-stressing your mind.
- Get away on a weekend camping trip. If you don’t have camping gear, there are plenty of places you could rent for the weekend that are in nature – what about a treehouse? Or house or pet sitting in a country town or area?
- Nature doesn’t have to be somewhere on a mountain, it can be by the beach or a lake. Water is known to have a calming effect on the mind as well and offer great health benefits. You could swim, surf, fish, kayak, sail, scuba dive or whale watch!
- Start practicing yoga and go on a yoga retreat.
- Buy a bike and go on long rides.
- Take up a sport – golf or tennis perhaps!
TIP: My biggest tip for keeping sane while living and working abroad and travelling full-time is to keep it regular. Regular activity outside can keep your mind clear and de-stressed so you can keep on travelling longer and travelling better.
Are You Ready to say Hello Nature. Goodbye Stress?
Being connected to the outdoors isn’t as hard as you think and I hope this post has both encouraged and inspired you to get outdoors. Even a one hour lunch break sitting in a park will help keep your mind focussed. When life gets too much, even when travelling, stop, say hello nature, joy and calmness and goodbye to stress and poor mental health. OK, I’m off for a walk – how about you?
Spending time in nature is SO important in regular life, and when we travel to cities it can be easy to forget to prioritize getting into nature. Thanks for sharing!