Crave calm? Get outside!

Feeling overwhelmed, over-busy or frazzled? Get outside!

Simply stepping out into nature can help reboot your mood and transform crazy into calm. Our human-made, urban landscapes can bombard the senses with artificial light, crowded spaces, noise and pollution, contributing to overstimulation, stagnation and stress.

Nature can provide a welcome break from stale indoor environments, relieve an overactive mind and give the body to permission to rest and heal. When relaxed, our nervous system can set the dial to ‘rest-and-digest’ mode, where deep healing and rejuvenation occurs. Our action-ready ‘fight-or-flight’ mode takes the front seat when we face danger or feel stressed or frenzied.

Serotonin levels depend on the amount of oxygen you inhale. Enjoy a few deep, full breaths to blow the cobwebs away, refresh the brain and brighten your mood.

Several studies from around the world show real benefits of spending time in nature. One study discovered that, simply by walking in natural environments, unproductive ‘re-run’ thinking (where negative or unhealthy thoughts run on a constant repeat loop) decreased.

Korean researchers found an interesting difference in the brain activity of volunteers when they viewed urban images versus natural scenery. Urban images stimulated blood flow to the amygdala, the section of the brain responsible for detecting fear and preparing for emergency events. On the flip side, the sight of natural scenery switched on the brain zones associated with love and empathy.

In Japan, researcher found ‘forest bathing’ enabled participants to inhale “beneficial bacteria, plant-derived essential oils and negatively charged ions”. These are all thought to positively affect gut bacteria, strengthening immunity and improving both mental and physical health. ‘Forest bathing’? Basically this means getting out into a green space, such as a park or forest and simply soaking up the atmosphere. Pretty easy, huh?

Here are a few tips to get you out the door, into nature and into a relaxed, calm vibe:

• Just go. Nature could be as close as your backyard, local urban green-space or botanical Garden, or it could mean travelling to a beach or national park. Settle on your option and just go!
• Feel the earth. Get barefoot and treat your feet to the temperature and textures of the earth. Delight in sensations underfoot: grass, sand, leaves or dirt. Enliven your hands by digging into the ground, touch plants, trees or water.
• Observe and get perspective. Spread out on the grass, look up and cloud or star watch! When dwarfed by nature, our problems often shift into perspective and may seem smaller and/or more manageable.
•  Move a muscle, move a mood. Ditch the gym and venture outdoors to walk, run, swim, climb, dance or whatever takes your fancy! Movement works to boost serotonin, a ‘feel-good’ chemical found in the brain.
• Be a natural copycat. Yoga poses are often inspired by nature and animals. For example, take vrkisanana (tree pose) by balancing on one foot and making ‘branches’ with the arms. Ground the standing foot, imagining roots reaching deep into the earth. Visualise and embody the qualities of your favourite tree, such as strength and majesty.
• Look away. Too much time working closely over bright screens can cause eye strain, neck pain and headache. Soothe tired eyes by gazing at natural scenery a distance away. Remove your glasses, if required.
• Fill up on fresh air. Serotonin levels depend on the amount of oxygen you inhale. Enjoy a few deep, full breaths to blow the cobwebs away, refresh the brain and brighten your mood.
• Lead yourself to flowing, crashing water. Moving water transmits negative ions into the atmosphere, which ironically have a positive effect on mood! Take a walk by the ocean, a flowing creek or gushing waterfall and feel the difference!

 Can’t get outside today?

If you can’t get away, consider these fun ways to bring the outdoors in:

• Add some greenery to your environment. Pop a bunch of flowers or leaves into a vase on your office desk or dining table, adopt a luscious green plant.
• Showcase rocks, shells or any interesting natural objects you have found outside – they’ll serve as a reminder of your outdoor adventures.
• Open a window, even for a short time, and invite some fresh air in.
• Display an artwork or photo from a scene in nature where you can see it often.
• Use a salt lamp. Aside from the beautiful soothing glow from salt lamps, the negative ions emitted from them help to create a positive mood and clear the air from pollens and other irritants.
• Drink water or immerse yourself in it. Pay homage to the watery makeup of the body (around 70 per cent) and sip on pure, filtered water throughout the day. Slip into a warm bath or shower for a relaxing way to experience H2O.
• Diffuse essential oils. Each essential oil has different qualities to enhance health. Choose any scent that takes you into nature: lavender, cedarwood and vetiver are all earthy and centring options.

OK, now shut down your computer, get out there and get calm, naturally!