Happy Golden Sunday
I’ve spent the weekend in Colorado, doing my favorite thing:
hanging out in an aspen grove. The trees are starting to turn, and the mountainsides are simply aglow with golden leaves!
To be honest, I entered the weekend feeling stressed and depleted; the good news is, I am leaving it energized and inspired.
Nature works like a miracle drug to our bodies and
minds.
As I drove back to Denver I was reminded of this email from last September. It’s well worth revisiting! Enjoy:
When I find myself feeling out-of-sorts and uninspired, I
run through a mental checklist: Am I getting enough good food, rest, water, and meditative/spiritual time? (No, no, maybe, and no.) I often forget to add the question, “Am I spending time in nature—in my yard or among trees in a park?”
It’s an important component that gets easily overlooked.
Fifteen
to thirty minutes spent outside on a regular basis can be life-changing. If you want to inspire more creativity and joy in your life, this is an easy (and free) way to access your personal GOLD, and that's what our work together is all about.
Research shows that spending regular time
outdoors lowers your blood pressure, reduces anxiety, strengthens your immune system, improves your mental and emotional health, boosts your mood, makes you a better problem-solver and increases your creativity. Name one drug that can do all that!
I love that some doctors are now writing nature
prescriptions to counter the effects of our modern, indoor lifestyles.
"Nature time" feels frivolous and unnecessary though, doesn't it? So unproductive and wasteful! I find so many reasons to "answer one more email" or "watch one more episode," rather than put my shoes on and say, walk (or amble along) for 20 minutes.
Yet once we recognize the value it brings to our entire lives, we must give ourselves permission to “waste time” watching clouds, admiring trees, walking on grass, and breathing fresh air.
