Destress with Nature

Destress with Nature

Work can be stressful, life can throw you curveballs, and kids as much as we love them can drive you up a wall. Finding time to relax is paramount to a healthy mind and soul. Throughout my life I have found myself and others saying we don't have the time for the things we love. As I grow older I realize I am the one who controls what I do with my time.

This realization has helped me maintain better spiritual, emotional, and mental health in all aspects of my life. Most things people find extremely important or a priority usually can wait. It is our choice to ignore our personal needs and press on to things others think are more important. I must take time to get out on the Illinois River or other bodies of water to reconnect with who I truly am and what is really important in life.

You must be the steward of your personal health and I am going to share 10 outdoor activities that could help you regain sanity in an insane world. I hope you find them helpful in your life and your stress lowers significantly after implementing them.

10 outdoor activities to destress and reorganize:

1. Nature walks, taking a walk in a park away from the city can give you the feeling of being far away yet close to home. Immersing yourself within the sights and sounds of nature. It may help you relax and inspire you to take more healing time.

2. Kayaking on rivers or lakes can put you in a very relaxed state. If you start feeling your part of the landscape out on the water the outside world seems to slip away along with the worries. In the middle of a large body of water you begin to realize how insignificant most things are and how sometimes letting things flow like water will help you not to worry so much about the small things.

3. Fishing is probably my number one activity personally, I seem to find myself casting and retrieving different baits in search of fish that all sense of time seems to slip away. Bank fishing is a good time to take in the views while bottom fishing for catfish or anything that bites.

4. Hunting is another great outdoor activity to destress. Patience and skill are required to get close to your quarry and even if you are only armed with a camera, it's the hunt not the kill that draws that hyper focus and relaxation that will make your worries slip away.

5. Mountain biking through some of our local parks can raise the adrenaline and focus with steep ravines and serene wilderness. Hyper focus on staying on the trail and making sharp turns can make the outside world and its stressors disappear in an instant.

6. Have a fire, in a fire pit or enclosed area. We don't want to upset Smokey the Bear, but a safe contained fire can be mesmerizing and relaxing. The smell of burning wood and the flames dancing in the night is sure to take your mind off of the daily stresses of life.

7. Watching the sunrise or sunset, pick a good place facing east in the morning or west in the evening, preferably somewhere out away from the city. Just watch in awe as a new day begins or ends. The colors and vibrancy will surely help you forget your daily worries.

8. Have lunch under a large tree, trees are some of nature's best recyclers turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. A lot of peace can be found sitting with a large oak, or any other species of tree for an extended period of time. Enjoy the shade, clean air, and the birds chirping on a great day outdoors. You may have to fight an ant or two over your lunch, but this time away could be all you need to destress.

9. Swimming in a pool, lake, or river can be soothing and help one reconnect to the fun child inside that loves to have fun. I prefer jumping in a river over a pool but immersion in water is very relaxing no matter the type of water body.

10. Archery is another great outdoor activity to reduce frustration and stress. Shooting a bow and arrow will bring out hyper focus and flow like states. The act of drawing a bow to releasing an arrow is relaxing in itself. The extra focus of getting a bullseye just makes it even better.

I hope you will make the decision to make more time for yourself and the things you love. Finding what sets your heart at peace is the key to eliminating stress and worries. Above are some of my favorite outdoor activities to destress and find my peace. I am sure these ideas will help you find less stress. It is up to you to take and make time to try them out for yourself. Be blessed, distressed, and enjoy the small joys life brings us each day. I hope to see you out enjoying nature and the outdoors!

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