Staying indoors is becoming more and more of a convenience as our digital world provides everything we want from shopping to entertainment all at our command. Why do we even need to step outdoors when we can have the world brought indoors?
Well to answer that question, here are my top 10 reasons for getting yourself out into the great outdoors.
1. Oxygenation
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Without breath, we could not survive and so the higher quality of air we breathe the better our bodies and minds will function. When you walk amongst the trees you are gifted with pure oxygen, as the trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for all life to flourish.
When you get outdoors take in some deep belly breaths and hold for a count of 3 before you release. Do this for as many times as it feels good to do so and see how much better you feel.
Clean air and breath work can assist your circulation and this is where the feel-good factor is activated. Oxygenation happens through the intake of air, which then goes into the bloodstream and circulates through to the tissues giving the body its vital life force energy.
2. Exercise
Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
Whether you go outdoors to walk, run, or cycle, moving the body outside amongst the elements is a dopamine rush to the brain. As you move all your muscles you begin to activate energy making you feel present and alive.
A simple walk is far better for the body than sitting in front of the television and is way more beneficial for your physical health.
Exercise is energy in motion and ultimately brings you to feeling positive e-motions.
3. Mental Space
Image by mooremeditation from Pixabay
Just like a computer we need to unplug from the digital world and from the world of work. The best way to unplug is to get outdoors in nature to regulate our senses to their natural rhythm and bring back balance into our lives.
Depression is on the increase and one of the best antidotes to a low mood is to get yourself outdoors and give your mind the space to disengage from all the ruminations that can be hard to break when you stay indoors. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining outside, put on the necessary waterproofs and let the element of water revitalize your mental pattern of thinking.
4. Connection to Nature
Image by Moni Mckein from Pixabay
Getting outdoors into nature connects us with the beauty of our natural world and all its inhabitants. There is so much to see and take in. You can photograph it and explore its many wonders and colours. Watch the wildlife flourish and escape your world to the magnificence of God’s creations. It reconnects us to our own unique blueprint as we marvel at the brilliance of life. You can witness an amazing sunrise or sunset, a storm, or a cool breeze. Not one day is the same when you truly engage in the world of Gaia.
5. Grounding
Image by JACKSON FK from Pixabay
It’s becoming popular to take off your shoes and walk barefoot on the grass. This is called grounding; as it reconnects you to the earth and has a way of balancing your energy field just like many healing modalities including Reiki.
You can walk in your own garden or out in a beautiful meadow, park, or recreational ground. Put your feet on some grass and let the magic of nature do its thing.
6. Technology Time Out
Photo from Canva.com
Tap, Tap, Tap at the keyboards of a laptop, tablet, or phone we go and on and on throughout our day, this incessant tapping continues. We can be outdoors and yet still connected to our digital gadgets, which is a complete disconnection from nature’s calling us home. We are isolating ourselves from the life force of our earth. Getting outdoors without your phone activated is the best way to reconnect and take the necessary time out of the digital world.
7. Creativity
Photo from Canva.com
Walking and taking in your outer world can let your mind wander into many realms of inspirational thinking. It has a way of activating thoughts that were once hidden from your mind whilst you sat indoors. It’s as if the outside world has invisible downloads waiting for us to walk into and hit us with an inspired thought on which to take action. Going outdoors can allow your imagination to run wild and your creativity to expand exponentially.
8. Acclimatization
Image by DanaTentis from Pixabay
Tribes that live outdoors permanently are able to withstand the elements far greater than those of us who spend the majority of our lives indoors. When you get yourself outside on a regular basis your body begins to adapt to the temperatures and the natural elements that surround our living world. Each area has a different climate and the body has an amazing ability to attune itself to these elements if given the opportunity. So don’t close yourself off from a cold winter day, instead get out and embrace it. Your body will develop the necessary internal elements to master its surroundings and in return be far more adaptable to the changing seasons.
9. Connection to People
Photo from Canva.com
Indoors can be very isolating if you live alone. Getting outdoors connects you to new people. You can be uplifted by a smile from a stranger or saying, ‘Good Morning or Good Day’. Connection to other human beings is an important part of life. Yes, we can often meet unhappy people but then you could be the person who turns that frown upside down. It is our connections that are vital to our survival and we are all on this earth doing the best we can with what we have been given. You could make somebodies day and they could also make yours, don’t let one unhappy person lower your spirits as you will find someone open to connect. Sometimes it’s the ones most closed off that truly need that smile or a simple, ‘Hello’.
Getting outdoors brings you closer to your fellow human beings and maximizes your opportunity to charge a voltage of connection that brings sustenance to our souls.
10. Return to Self
Image by irongroup from Pixabay
Getting outdoors connects you to a world in which you play a huge part. You may feel alone and wonder why are you here. When you step outside and you get close to the natural world you reconnect to that living part of yourself. The natural world reminds us to nurture our own inner sanctuary. We are like a mini-universe full of cells and tissues, blood and plasma, energy and oxygen everything that needs that universal connection to the great outdoors. It is liberating to free ourselves and engage with Mother Earth which is alive and changing just like us every day. Being in this presence of life we are able to return to our own innate wisdom and often it can feel very spiritual and authentic to wander into the aliveness of life itself. This all takes form in the natural world, so make sure you step outside and return to the inner sanctum of your soul.
I hope these 10 top reasons get you walking outside soon and taking in the many benefits our great outdoors offers to us each and every day. Plus, they are all totally free of charge, which is an added bonus.