I'm adamant about going outside to gain clarity and peace, but I’ve realized that when I step outside for nature I still carry my distractions with me. Headphones in, listening to a podcast or music while walking, scrolling my phone while sitting on the park bench, or even talking on the phone the whole time. I’m not fully there to get the experience I set out to accomplish. I might be in nature physically, but mentally I never left the noise.
True clarity (the kind of personal drive that fuels ideas, nervous system calmness, or even spiritual connection) comes from being fully present with no choice but to connect inward because the outside noise isn't there.
The Power of Presence
Wind sounds, birds chirping, leaves moving from the trees, the smell of fresh air.... These all do something for my spirit. They pull me into the realization of how beautiful these things are, and how I get to live amongst it. But it also teaches me and forces me to do a few things as well...
It slows me down. In that quiet space, it's like my thoughts start to organize. I see more clearly what really matters and where my energy should go next. I gain perspective.
I also feel calm. It feels almost impossible to sit amongst beauty such as an ocean, mountain, trees, lake, or open sky and just be mad. Sure, you may go there feeling a way, but you normally leave with a reset if you stay long enough.
Why should this matter for you?
I did some research to back me this time. 🙂 Let's get into it.
When you’re constantly “on,” (working, consuming, reacting, listening to anything even music 🫠 ) your sympathetic nervous system is always activated. That's the part of your body that controls your fight or flight response. Your heart rate is always higher in this state, your breathing is shallow, your blood pressure is higher, and stress hormones elevate. Overtime you drain your body, and then there's a trickle down affect of immune system compromise and sicknesses.
So, I believe that when you allow yourself to recharge in presence especially through nature, your momentum for life from this state doesn't come from frantic energy, it flows naturally and powerfully from you through a lens of clarity and calmness.
In conclusion,
Don’t just go outside, be outside. Try to schedule in an intentional nature reset without the extras and see if it works for you. I'm curious to know. And if it does make you feel good, please be sure to do it more often to balance out the weight of the world that you have on your shoulders.
Take note on how you feel. Your thoughts? Any new ideas come to mind? Feel any stress at the moment?
Peace y'all
written by Morgan | @MORGANtheCEO
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