#OptOutside
If you haven't seen the recent hashtag #OptOutside on all of REI's social networks, you're missing out. This company is truly one of my favorites, because they promote time spent outdoors as a form of self-care. They have been pushing our culture to put down technology and escape to the simple beauties that are mountains, lakes, glaciers, forests, trails, etc. I would have never thought I would be the person to put on a backpack and take on a long trail up a mountain, and yet I have-- multiple times! And I can attest to the healing power that the outdoors have on one's mental health. For that reason, I am talking about how to take care of yourself by getting outside of your comfort zone and your homes!
As a therapist of any kind, it can be hard to practice what you preach. I can attest to this. Every day I tell my patients, "make sure and take care of yourself. If you're not healthy, you can't take care of anyone else", and yet sometimes I come home and sit on my couch and eat ice cream while watching trash on TV... lame. I'm lucky to be married to a man who gets antsy sitting too long, and who has influenced me to love being outdoors and being QUIET. We started out adventuring with a simple concept: Hammocking. (Yes we have made that a verb). We each bought a hammock and challenge ourselves to find new places to hang them-- in a park, back yard, mountain, forest, while camping, etc. This has transformed into some sort of movement (not taking credit), and now our friends are joining in! I know people who hang up upward of 5-10 hammocks in one location and dub it #hammockcity, which I find to be extremely clever.
Hammocking then turned into backpacking and hiking, which has led to a fervent desire to explore and just be present in nature. Out there, my mind is clear. I can smell the fresh air, notice the small things, be MINDFUL, not think about all the stress that's at home, and take a much needed break from the day to day bustle. It gets harder as the seasons wear on, cold comes and I find myself holding up in my apartment with a blanket and crying (not always..but sometimes). I cannot stress enough: get outside! Explore! If not now, when will you get the opportunity?
Recently my husband and I took a mini vacation in Asheville, NC and got the chance to take a 6 mile hike up a mountain called "Looking Glass Rock". I was in no kind of shape to hike straight up a mountain, and was deathly sore after, but the view from up there was more than worth it. The mountain was not flat, and creeping close to the edge was not my idea of fun. The trees were reds, and yellows and greens, and oranges, and it was such a good reminder of how small I am, but how BIG my problems feel to me sometimes. It puts everything into perspective, and allows me to see my problems from a different viewpoint. The mountain almost becomes a part of you as you hike each rock and crag. You feel like you can conquer anything once you reach the top.
We all have problems and struggles. We all suffer at times. We all need time for ourselves. I encourage you to take that time and try something new. Conquer a fear. Reach a small goal. Explore our world and soak it in. It's so worth it. And right now, go write down something you want to do!
I will leave you with this gem of a song. Happy adventuring!
