1. Video clip I LOVE (and needed to see)…
As humans, we take A LOT for granted. We forget just how incredible we have it. The guy in this clip does a great job of reminding us of what we need to think about more. SAVOR that bite of food… ENJOY the warmth of the sun on your skin… RELISH the feeling of your bare feet on the grass, in the sand, or on the dirt… FEEL wind blowing on your face… APPRECIATE the smells of nature. I LOVED this short video clip. I’m really glad I saw it.
2. Condition I read about this week…
Our disconnectedness from nature absolutely negatively impacts our health and overall well-being. This week, I heard a term that I LOVE… Nature-Deficit Syndrome. It was coined in 2005 by Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods (which I have not read). It is not a true medical diagnosis… but should be! There is scientific research (as if we even need that?!?) showing “the human costs of alienation from nature,” and how it “contributes to a diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, conditions of obesity, and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses.” I’m sure the pharmaceutical companies are working on a drug for this. Haha! It’s an easy fix… just get outside. Getting back in nature is not just good for us… it is ESSENTIAL. Make it a priority.
3. Wellness tip…
We want to be outside more… but need to work, we have obligations, and time is limited. It doesn’t always have to be one or the other. Try combining both. Have to have a meeting with a co-worker, do it on a 15-minute walk outside. Work from home more these days? Take your laptop outside to the back patio, or go to a picnic bench at a nearby park. Trying to entertain your children? Take them on a hike, take them up to the local playground, or read to them outside. You could take your kids to a movie this weekend, OR… take them to a local farm and let them climb on hay bales and run through the corn maze. Instead of talking to your friend on the phone, talk to them on a walk, hike, or bike ride. Do the things you have to do, just try to do them outside. I’m in Florida right now and started this Friday’s Findings in the hotel room. Realized I COULD do it outside. Still doing work… but doing it with my feet in the sand, hearing the waves crashing, and smelling the saltwater in the air. Same outcome work-wise… WAY BETTER outcome health-wise!!!
