Number One Stress Killer – Nature
November 4, 2008 by admin
I bet you would have never guessed 20 years ago you’d be sitting in front of computer monitors in stuffy cubicles under florescent lights for at least eight hours a day five days a week. By the time you leave, there’s barely enough time to run into the deli to grab dinner, then collapse in front of the television – or worse yet, open your briefcase to more work yikes!
Isn’t it strange that you get to look forward to that tranquil screen saver just to see the great outdoors. Fresh air and nature just isn’t on your schedule. You may not even realize that a drawer full of anti-acids and aspirin isn’t a fraction as good for your stress and tension as spending time outdoors.
Want to live in a Drug Free Zone – go outside calm your nerves. The only way to get the full benefit of nature is to experience it firsthand. You can’t read about it, see photos or watch it on television and get the same stress-relieving effect.
Stop saying that you don’t have time. Unless your chained to your desk you could take your brown bag lunch and eat outside. Or you could drive to a park and have lunch there. And instead of taking a coffee break, go outside and walk around the parking lot -don’t take too many deep breaths though 
but least you’ll feel a lot better when you get back to your office. You’ll get more healthful energy from fifteen minutes outdoors than a triple shot in a latte.
And while you’re outdoors, stop, look and listen. Stop your brain from running at full tilt thinking about your task list or replaying that last irritating phone call. Look around you – really look.
What do you see? A tree – what kind of tree? A bush with flowers? Touch and smell the flowers. Did you see a squirrel playing under the tree? Watch him – squirrels tend to be entertaining and if you bring peanuts, the squirrel will put on a show for that treat.
Do you hear birds chirping? How many different kinds of birds do you see? If you look at everything closely, you’ll see things in nature that you haven’t noticed since you were a curious child. Those things never left, you just stopped looking.
Are you still sitting there? Well what are you waiting for? It’s so easy even a child can do it!
I hope this made you think about how you can handle stress. Let me know how you’re going to put this information into action. Leave me a comment see the link below this sentence?
It’s amazing, even in the city, how much of nature is there if you really pay attention: birds, squirrels, trees, plants and shrubbery, even the weather. There are so many ways to connect with nature if we really want to!
I like your ideas of just strolling around the parking lot during a break. It gets the mind off stressful things.
Good article!
It’s actually a written goal of mine to get outside more! I love it first thing on these dark mornings to go out and get the paper and look up at the stars in the still-dark sky. Always smells good too first thing in the morning.
Then I’ll just go walk around the backyard mid-morning or at lunch. There really is something about the smell of being outside, deep breaths, and a little sunshine on the face!