Tag Archives: Wellness

Nature Therapy

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It’s no secret to me or anyone who has to put up with me that I’m mentally tired and probably need a day off – or a nap – or maybe a time out. Yesterday I ran for the door at the end of my work day for the first weeknight hike of the season. 

The evening daylight is long enough now that we were able to fit in almost four miles. 

Four glorious miles. Well, all were glorious except for the last very steep hill that left me so winded I was sure I had emphysema. Man, I have some goals for this hiking season! But I survived and without stopping so that’s something to celebrate. 

Another thing to celebrate is the incredible restorative effects of nature. To breathe fresh air is to start anew. To hear birdsong is to hear the earth sing. To feel a light breeze on your face is an embrace from the world. To feel dirt and fallen leaves beneath your feet is to connect with the earth in unexpected ways. To look up into the tree tops is to understand your place in this world.

In case there’s any doubt – you are small and so is your place here. 

I came home feeling so much more grounded and better equipped for all that’s bugging. At least for a while. 

I am fortunate to live in the country where my literal backyard is filled with trees and shrubs, flowers and weeds and where birds and frogs gift me with their beautiful songs every day. I’m also fortunate to live close to hiking trails so I can easily run away from home for natural therapy when time allows. 

If you’re having a hard day, if you need a mental health break, if you’re struggling or if you’re doing just fine and simply want the amazing things I described above, find your way outdoors. You will be happier and stronger for it.

I promise.

Every Day Can’t Count

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Make every minute count. You only live once. Carpe diem. You’ve heard all these phrases and more like them. 

Those people who insist that every day must count are well meaning, but man, they are exhausting. We get a finite amount of days in this life so it is best not to waste them. I get that. In fact, many people waste every single day and then complain the world is passing them by. We can’t do that either.

Unfortunately, every day can’t be the best, most productive day filled with breakthroughs or adventures. We can’t always be high energy and ready to tackle the world. Anyone who says different is either selling something or lying to themselves too. On the flip side of the coin, when our world turns small, it’s important to find ways to be fulfilled and to make life more meaningful.. 

There has to be a middle ground. 

Some days are only meant to be survived. These days don’t need to count – they just need to accumulate. Think of them as rungs on a ladder to help you get to the next step. You have to keep moving forward to get through this day and on to the next and the next and the one after that. 

Whether the days seem dreary and hopeless or the night long and dark, the night will eventually end, the clouds will move on and the sun will shine again. 

There’s a point every year that I need a mental health day but can’t get one in good conscience. It sucks but it’s character building. At least that’s my theory and it does help. After all, if you think that what you’re doing is good for you, it’s easier to keep going. 

So keep going. You’ll get there.

Musings From A Nature Walk

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Our winter thus far has been so mild, even calling it winter is sort of insulting to the season. We had snow for like three days and we had some frigid temperatures for about a week. This week has been sunny and in the forties and fifties, confusing my internal clock and making me think it’s March.

Yet the weather has successfully made weekend hiking difficult. Torrential rain or frigid temperatures seem to hit every single weekend. While I have enjoyed being cozy at home, I have craved time in the woods.

There’s just nothing like it.

So I made a point of leaving work on time yesterday and went outdoors for a while with my fella. We didn’t go far and weren’t even outside for that long since it’s still getting dark kind of early. All the same, it was exactly what I needed.

Luckily, there’s a spot nearby and the tourists were mostly absent last night so we had the place to ourselves for a while. We marveled at the muted shades of greens, greys and browns in the trees and the variation of colors and textures in the rocks. The sound of flowing water was the soundtrack to it all and shadows cast by the fading light created an air of mystery.  

When you stand in nature with your feet on soil, the sky overhead, and trees, rocks and birds all around, it’s impossible to not feel a kind of reverence. I call it going to church.

I’ll never understand those people who march into the woods, talking loudly and looking at their phones. They miss so much simply because they don’t connect to their surroundings and appreciate the bounty that only nature can offer. 

My hope for you is that you can find time this weekend to spend in nature. Even a few moments of peace in nature can lower your blood pressure and bolster your mental health. A little fresh air can change your perspective. It can give you curious things to look at and consider. It can bring you joy. You remember what joy is, don’t you? 

Don’t worry. I’ll practice what I preach.

Want to see some pictures from my evening in nature? Visit Make The Journey Fun on Facebook!!

Self Care Sunday Isn’t What It Sounds Like

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Yesterday was Self Care Sunday in my world. That doesn’t mean I sat on the couch and ate chocolate while watching a Golden Girls marathon. Although, a day with Dorothy, Rose, Sophia and that endearing hussie Blanche would be hard to resist. 

Instead, it means that I spent the day doing things that will make my life better or even easier in the coming workweek and then spent some time writing, reading and doing quiet activities that bring me joy. 

I slept in and caught part of the CBS Sunday Morning Show, an important one as they honored longtime host Charles Osgood who passed away this week at the age of 91.

Charles … yes, we were on a first name basis – Charles was my absolute favorite television news personality of my lifetime. Cultured and witty, never crass or cruel, he had a voice that made me feel like I was sitting down with an old friend. He looked for the good, the interesting and the untold stories in the world and I have missed him every Sunday since his retirement. 

Next up were two chores that I simply haven’t had time or energy to deal with lately – clean the bathroom and Scout’s litter box. These are not difficult chores but they do require mental preparation that I sometimes can’t pull off during a busy workweek. 

I let Robot Bob do some vacuuming. Scout likes to oversee this process and it freed my time to do a little straightening in other areas. Clean sheets and clothes washed, dried and returned to where they belong is a gratifying feeling, especially when you slide into a freshly made bed!

Afterward was some light exercise. I’m still babying my knee a bit but it felt good to move and stretch. I also feel better about myself after any kind of exercise. A walk in the woods is always best but anything will do on a rainy day. 

Then it was back to the kitchen to do some meal prep. There’s nothing worse than coming home after a long workday to remember you still haven’t won the lottery and there still isn’t a personal chef waiting anxiously to learn if you prefer broccoli or asparagus tonight. Oh, the disappointment! 

So I roasted veggies, made some fish and experimented with overnight oats. I don’t like oats but am trying to learn to like them in the interest of being a healthier me. This has been an ongoing struggle for most of my adult life. We shall soon see if I cracked the case this time!

I also worked on my budget and gathered items for tax preparation. 

See where I’m headed with this? Self care is many things. For some it’s a Tuesday night massage, lots of moisturizer and sleeping in. For me, it’s often a morning in the woods, a day in an antique mall or a road trip to a destination unknown. However, it can also be lots of unattractive things batched together over a few hours to make the next few days more pleasant. 

It was about 4:30 when I finally sat down to read.

Was the house perfect? It was not. No indeedy, I didn’t dust but I did vacuum the dead stink bugs out of the window sill where they collect in the living room. Having that done made my heart happy and mind relax just a little more than normal. 

While in the kitchen, I was able to keep an eye on the dozens of birds flitting about the feeder. I put a bird feeder in the line of sight of my kitchen window last year and it has brought me great joy. It’s on a metal shepherds hook at this time but I would like to eventually have something taller and more permanent placed in that location to make it harder for the wandering cats in the neighborhood to grab one of my visitors like it’s dining at the Ponderosa buffet. 

But that’s a project for another day’s list. 

Instead, I kicked back on the couch with a book and my journal, with Pandora on my favorite oldies station and rain hitting the windows. Later I switched gears to PBS to watch All Creatures Great And Small, the very best show on tv these days. 

This, my friends, was a perfect day of self care because that’s how I choose to view it. The work had to be done anyway. I couldn’t go another day without emptying Scout’s litter genie. I needed to cook some food and wanted clean clothes ready to go for the week. Yes, it was work but I chose to view it differently. I chose to view it as a form of preparation to make my week better, to make myself feel better. And I still had time to relax and kick up my feet with a snack and to do the fun things I looked forward to enjoying. 

Self Care Sunday. I should do this more often!

The Ruler Doesn’t Know

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This quote presented itself one day, just when I needed it most. It intrigued me and has provided food for thought. Perhaps it will do the same for you.

You don’t need my editorial comments but I do hope you’ll think about how you have been measuring your own life.

“You will realize you are enough when you recognize there is no measuring stick. It’s all made up. The ruler itself doesn’t even know the rules.”

Pierre Alex Jeanty, Haitian-American author

Do You Know How To Relax?

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When was the last time you just sat down and relaxed? It seems to be a dying art for most people in my life. I’m certainly not good at it. After all, I spend the bulk of my day working at my job or sleeping. My free time is split between responsibilities at home, occasional hikes and a day trip when I can fit one in but these have been rare lately. 

Sitting down to do nothing just hasn’t been a priority for several months and my mind tends to wander if I try. 

Once the Christmas Eve dishes were cleared and my family left on Sunday night, there was a moment of calm like I haven’t felt in a long time. I looked around and realized that the shopping and gift wrapping were done, the cookies baked, the meal was over and there was nothing left to be done for the holiday. All I needed to do was show up for gifts and a meal at my parents’ house the next morning. 

So I curled up on the loveseat and read a book. I read several chapters and savored the experience. Warm pjs, the glow of the Christmas tree and my little house panther Scout nearby made for a perfect end to the day. 

It felt downright luxurious. 

It would be nice to bottle the calm that made this possible. 

Am I alone in this? 

It’s not healthy to be so busy that you can’t relax. It can lead to poor sleep, tension in the neck and shoulders, headaches and digestive issues. It elevates your blood pressure and is detrimental to your mental health. I notice that some overly busy people in my life are caffeine addicted, tense and paranoid. Personally, I carry all my stress in my shoulders and would be in severe pain if not for the magic hands of my great chiropractor. 

And why? What do we have to gain by keeping ourselves so busy we can’t even sleep at night? 

Do you have tips for relaxing and for sitting still? Winter is a slower time for me and a more relaxing time at home so I suspect I’ll naturally remember how to do this but could probably use a little help getting started!