How To Enjoy Nature When Camping Is Not An Option

Rusty and I don’t camp every weekend. Last month, we camped three out of four weekends and yet this month we will go only once. When our schedules get too heavy, it is not worth trying to get away. We have now learned how to stay home and recharge. Much of nature is accessible to all of us; it doesn’t have

to involve taking a long drive- it merely requires noticing what is already around. Here, I share some of the ways Rusty and I have learned to be in nature. Hopefully, they will be helpful and encourage you to recharge when you can’t get away.

Although this may sound simple or hoky, the f

irst thing I do on Saturday morning is go outside and take three deep breaths of fresh air. Yep, before I make my coffee or say a word to Rusty, I go out and breathe in the fresh air. It sets me in a good mindset for the day. I am not telling you to close your eyes, sit in a yoga pose, breathe deep into the belly and chant “ohm.” Nor am I telling you to meditate. Simply walk outside first thing.

On some of these Saturday mornings, I take a three mile jog - never a sprint. I get my blood pumping and charge my feel good endorphins. The other day, I jogged to our nearby breakfast spot to get us morning coffee and walked home. What is important is not how far or how fast I go, but that I get out and move. It is a refresh before I even need it.

Rusty and I also make time to go out for a hike nearby. Although he is not as much of a fan of the trails, we like to spend time together. Sometimes we will talk but other times we just share the experience of soaking in the outdoors. When Rusty isn’t with me, I’ll listen to the birds or just take in the wonders around me. The other day, three deer crossed my path.. Not five minutes later, I saw two more deer. These experiences make me feel connected to the earth and connected to something greater than me. I am in awe and my spirits lift.

While we might hike on Saturdays, Sunday is when we have our “date night” except it is in the morning. I work 10-12 hours a day during the week, and so we often don’t have dinner together and have a traditional date night like other married couples. Nevertheless, we never miss our Sunday mornings when we tell stories and share what’s going on in our lives. We sit side by side in front of the fire pit when Rusty is holding his coffee and chat, relax, and sometimes even brainstorm ideas for the business.

Frequently, our deck mornings spill well into the afternoon. I might just sit outside with a good book but often I do my weekly planning amongst the cardinals and squirrels. They inspire me. As our house is surrounded by trees, Rusty and I forget we have neighbors and it is as if we have nature to ourselves. It is amazing how many great ideas emerge when I am sitting outside. Nature lets my mind wander at its own pace and then I can be much more productive. I can get so much done and never feel that I am working.

I also find that weeding calms my mind when it is in bouncing back and forth between one hundred different places. It is as if I am wedding out all the cobwebs and letting only the good emerge. The repetitive physical activity absorbs me and sometimes I forget all the stressors. If I go outside and pull weeds, in twenty minutes I feel like I accomplished two things, my yard looks better and my mind is clear.

Simple things like this are great ways to get you out of your element and into nature. Try some today!