The Power of Going Outside
Last week, I was in a motivational slump. I was stuck in a place of feeling restless and yet not wanting to do anything. I’ve got some exciting things on the horizon and yet, I felt frozen like I was waiting for something. I knew I needed to snap out of it. I needed to find some inspiration, but I wasn’t sure how.
I was listening to Arthur Brook’s book Build the Life You Want (2023) when he reminded me that going outside can be a way to wake up your motivation. He said, “…go outside and connect with the outdoors. This is one of the most time-tested ways to have a transcendental experience” (p. 187).
I was also reminded of the research we learned about green spaces in my well-being class. A study in 2019 found that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature was associated with good health and well-being (White, et al.). Another study from 2017 found that the Japanese practice of forest bathing, aka spending time in green spaces, was associated with lower blood pressure (Ideno, et al.) making spending time outside a benefit for your overall health and stress. Arthur Brooks (2023) also cites a study from 2015 where researchers assigned people to walk in either nature or an urban setting for 50 minutes. The nature walkers had lower anxiety, better mood, and better working memory (p. 188). Brooks says, “If you want to feel better, take your shoes off and spend the day outside; it might help” (p. 189)
So, I put the studies to the test. I googled hikes near me and went on an adventure.
If you know anything about Utah, I hope you know that our outdoors are truly incredible. With a short drive in any direction from my home, I can be in breathtaking mountainscapes. It’s amazing how quickly these views inspire awe within me and when we’re sitting in place of awe or wonder, our ability to tap into inspiration instantly grows.
Brene Brown describes this in her book Atlas of the Heart when she says, “Awe and wonder are essential to the human experience. Wonder fuels our passion for exploration and learning, for curiosity and adventure… Some researchers even believe that ‘awe-inducing events may be one of the fastest and most powerful methods of personal change and growth’” (2021, p. 59)
By 30 mins into my hike, I had to sit on a rock to write down the flow of inspirational thoughts that had been working through my mind. I wrote a list of people I admire. I sketched an idea for explaining a complicated topic. I had new phrases for describing my current body of work. I listed ideas for future writings and teachings. That funk I had been in before was completely gone (and I wasn’t even halfway through my hike!)
I came home from my hike refreshed, rejuvenated, and wanting to share more hikes with my family. I also found myself much more productive in my homework and my house tasks than I had been in weeks. This small shift was exactly the fuel I needed at that time and I’m grateful I was reminded of it.
Thanks for reading with me today. I hope you find some time to spend in nature this week. If you’re ever in my neck of the woods, I hope you’ll reach out to me. I’d love to share my healing green spaces with you.
References:
Brooks, A. C., & Winfrey, O. (2023). Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. Penguin Random House.
Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. Random House.
Ideno, Y., Hayashi, K., Abe, Y., Ueda, K., Iso, H., Noda, M., Lee, J. S., & Suzuki, S. (2017). Blood pressure-lowering effect of Shinrin-yoku (Forest bathing): a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 17(1), 409. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1912-z
White, M. P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J., Wheeler, B. W., Hartig, T., Warber, S. L., Bone, A., Depledge, M. H., & Fleming, L. E. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific reports, 9(1), 7730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3