Why being outdoors is good for me, and You!

I have been trying for a long time to understand why I love being outdoors. I can't explain it and I doubt I ever will able to completely. What i do know is that being outside in nature calms my spirits and brings in some certain kind of aliveness that cannot be compared to any other. I have been working at this all my life, but for the past weeks consistently and I notice I am more effective when I do things outside. In the daytime and at night time. 
There are two different effects from each of these times and I find that I am more powerfully creative when I work or attempt to do something outside at night.
Every time I sit out during the day to read or write or workout, whatever it is, I am more likely to enjoy the task much more than when I do it indoors.
Research does suggest that we are currently living unnaturally everyday as we hop from air-conditioned houses into air conditioned cars to air conditioned offices or classrooms and repeat the cycle over. This keeps us from enjoying the full benefits of nature and the outdoors.
I love to be outside. Especially at night 
It is advisable to have a ritual that keeps you outdoors for sometime, maybe in the morning or in the evening. It could be a walk, a round table gathering with friends over drinks, or you just simply sitting down to read something.

This is my ritual right now and I hope to stick with it for a long period of time.
I workout outdoors, jogging with my dog, jumping rope and meditating first thing in the morning in that order. Meditation for me happens outside under a big tree that I am lucky to have in my neighborhood. It is always a chore of sorts to find an array of trees and nature in Lagos Nigeria where I live as the entire city is overrun by concrete buildings seated side by side like sardines. 
And if not that then it is the overly crowded streets choked by people, commuters and automobiles of all kinds.


So if you are lucky to live in an area that has a decent place to chill and appreciate the outdoors, take advantage of this beautiful gift of nature and bask in nature in the morning staring up at the sky as the sun rises. 
The best time to be out in the morning is between 6AM and 8AM. If you are going to be outdoors much after 9AM be sure to use sunscreens and lotions containing a good amount of sun protection.
The best time to be out at night is between 6PM and 12AM.

When I was in school reading or doing any work at night was a breeze. I couldn't concentrate during the day and as such I was a night crawler. It was heaven for me. I could stay up late for long hours and I used be a really nocturnal being.
These days as I journey towards experiencing that fun part of nighttime again, I begin to realize that there is in fact something about the nighttime that is so powerful. If you can stay out in the open night air for hours on end locked in on a task, you find concentration to be an easier, deeper experience and you feel fearless and powerful all at once. 
I know a lot of us lead busy lives and can hardly afford the leisure of affordable nature time but when you think of all the stress you can relieve yourself of by just being out in nature, this would become something you might be drawn towards again and again. According to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the closer you live to nature, the healthier you're likely to be.
If you can give yourself just 10 minutes of outdoor time in the morning and at night, for the next 7days, you would feel a lot more alive and well. You would connect to an even deeper part of you in ways that you never thought possible and you'd begin to find each new day to be an experience worth looking forward to.

I hope this helps and you can somehow begin to let yourself enjoy the powerful effect of nature.
One great thing to do? Look up and stare at the clouds. For no reason at all whenever you are outdoors, look up to the sky and bask in its wondrous beauty and majesty. Sometimes I dare to think that the creator just sits all day creating art with the clouds. It is a really beautiful world up there. The next time you feel terrible or burned out or depressed, look up and see the wonder that looks down at you everyday.
It is such a beautiful world out there. We are too locked in most times to experience it. 

Want to start spending time outdoors? Here are my outdoor rituals you can try yourself!
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2 comments :

  1. I'd be the happiest girl in the world if you do that! Haha. Thank you Dora. you are special

    ReplyDelete
  2. There's a connection to the natural that only a natural mind can comprehend....a soothing relief and calmness that occupies the mind when nature takes charge! Once again Eva u have swept me off my feet!!

    ReplyDelete

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