062: Get Outside

We're going to talk about nature , we're going to talk about getting outside , and I'm feeling pumped about it because I just got back from taking a client on a two-night backpacking trip . We were kind of kicking off some coaching and some deeper work we're going to do over the next six months and the travel there .

As soon as I was landing at the Asheville airport and looking around , I guess I didn't realize the mountains down in the southeast were legit mountains . And when we're landing into Asheville , I'm looking out the window and I just like got pumped . I was like hell yeah , this feels like home . Get back into the mountains , get back out into nature .

And as I was on the trip , after the trip , it just reminded me how good it feels to walk around in the forest with bare feet to smell fresh rain and because of our lifestyle and our environment , we forget what it's like to be in nature . Being in nature is different than being in the backyard boozing in the sun , playing yard games .

Those are always good times , but it's not really what I mean when I talk about connecting with nature . What being in nature looks like , could look like , is , yeah , two night backpacking trip , but it also looks like 20 minutes sitting on a bench , taking in the surroundings .

It looks like being quiet , no phone , and you open up your senses , and it can be unsettling to sit alone with your thoughts .

When I did this exercise at a Durable Dad Day that I hosted a couple weeks ago , I was kind of teeing up what we were going to do go and sit in nature , be alone and one of the guys was like , how long are we going to do it ? And I said , well , it won't be an hour long , it'll be shorter than that . And he said , could it be two minutes ?

And we all kind of laughed . But that's the unsettling feeling .

Very rarely are we alone and not doing something , not having a screen in front of us , not having a task that we're getting done , and on the other side of this time , one of the guys at this durable dad day came back after 30 minutes alone and I was like that's all I needed , like I'm feeling better , we can go home now and it was one of the first

exercises we did After this backpacking trip that we just did . We were kind of recapping and one of the highlights was this alone time that we did and it was a little more extended than just the 30 minutes . But what happens ?

When you sit in nature like this and you take in the colors , you take in the sounds , you take in the smells , you feel the air , you start to feel better . This is the animal part of us , right ?

We're human beings , we're human animals and that animal part of us that is connected with nature , that is a part of the living breathing earth , doesn't get to be in touch with the natural world . Very often Our current environments we live in 72-degree boxes and they're square and they have straight lines , like .

One of the cool things about nature is there are no straight lines in nature . I just love that fact and that's a part of us that's so subtle . When scientists talk about the benefits of being in nature , it's really hard to quantify because there's just subtle things that connect with our deepest DNA that make us feel better , feel better .

So there's all these benefits of being in nature , and if we're not deliberate about spending time out there , we get caught up in our current lifestyle that disconnects us from nature . And I get caught up in this Like this is why I'm fired up about it , because I was just reminded of how amazing it feels to be outside .

I have a little spot on my calendar every day to be outside for 30 minutes , but sometimes that 30 minutes is a quick walk around the block while I'm trying to get a phone call in or get some other things done . It's not being in nature , it's outside , getting that fresh air in the face , getting some sun on the skin . It's healthy .

But because we're so disconnected from the natural world , the natural pace of life , we get caught up in the hustle culture . We're always moving fast , we're rushing from thing to thing , activity to activity , task to task , and there's no space . There's no space to quiet down and enjoy life .

I was talking to a buddy about Sundays and how Sundays used to be a day of rest . Now we have kids activities and baseball tournaments , and stores that used to be closed on Sundays are now open and there isn't that built-in day of rest , there's no margin to slow down .

So , at the basic level , we have a sympathetic nervous system and a parasympathetic nervous system , and our sympathetic nervous system is the one that's always assessing . It's the one that's worried about emails stressing about kids , the upcoming visit from the in-laws . When we're there and we're on the go , trying to accomplish , we have less patience .

And when your heart rate's up , when you're feeling tense in the chest or the jaw or the shoulders or your breathing is high up in your chest and not in your belly , that's the sympathetic nervous system and it's helpful , but we don't want to live there all the time , and nature makes it really easy to shift into the parasympathetic nervous system .

That's the one they call rest and digest . You're breathing deeper into your belly , your breath is softer and you're not on high alert anymore , and this is when your body is able to heal , your body is able to feel good , and that's a huge benefit of nature .

When I was out there with my client last week , he just said he felt healthier , and the root word of healthier is heal . So when we get out of our sympathetic nervous system into our parasympathetic , we start to heal , we start to feel better , and so there's a distinction between being outside trying to get things done and being in nature .

Being outside , you can still be in your sympathetic nervous system . When you're really in nature and soaking it in , you're in your parasympathetic nervous system , and I am an example of this . When I got to Asheville . I got there early and I was on the go . I had to run to the gear stores , I had to do some grocery shopping .

I went up to the trail and ran the trail just to make sure that we found a good campsite . And I was kind of on a recon mission , assessing , in that sympathetic nervous system , looking around . Yeah , I noticed the creek , yeah , I noticed the sun and the beautiful forest , but it wasn't until I found that campsite that I kind of settled .

I went to the river and I threw some cold water in my face and I just took a breath and looked around and there was a shift in my state . I just relaxed and nature can be that hack . I'm pumped up about this right now . It's something I really believe in .

I'm reminded after this weekend for myself to get out in nature more and just to be there , and I want you to , too , schedule some time to be outside and to

soak it in . I'm actually going to post a link to a walking meditation that I really love and I do sometimes .

So if you do want to be moving while you soak in nature , you can listen to this 15-minute meditation or you can take some of the tips that I gave which is kind of forest bathing you can Google forest bathing but it's sitting or standing and it's opening up all of your senses .

It's feeling your feet on the ground , right the felt sense , feeling the air on your skin , feeling your feet in the ground . Take your shoes off , that's always better . Open your eyes , open your ears , smell , taste all the senses .

Let nature just do its work and start to feel better , have more patience , be more calm , happier around your family , around your work . That's what I got for you guys today this challenge to put yourself in nature for at least 20 minutes or do a backpacking trip . Hope you guys have an awesome week and I'll catch you next time .