FINDRA and the Everyday Adventure
'Everyday Adventures' sit at the core of FINDRA, taking time to get outdoors no matter how long or short. This week we hear from FINDRA founder, Alex Feechan, on why she believes its the little everyday adventures that matter and often have more of a positive impact.
I love Springtime, I love that we slowly emerge from the darkens of a long winter. It starts with noticing the days getting longer, the lighter evenings and the sound of the birds tweeting in the morning. For me it really does feel like a bit of an awakening.
This is the time of year that I start to think about, and plan some weekday adventures. As a big fan of the ‘everyday adventure’ I love the idea of heading off on a bike ride or a walk, straight after work.
Living in the Tweed Valley makes this easy to achieve and is a big advantage. I can literally walk or ride from my front door and within 5 minutes I am on a trail, which I do appreciate and know makes a midweek mini-adventure more possible. For many its not that simple or straight forward and often requires a bit more planning which can at times feel like a chore!
But I do believe that if we look hard enough we can all find some local doorstep adventure’s no matter where we live.
One of the great things to come from the Covid pandemic and lockdown was the rediscovery of nature and what’s around us. Restrictions created an awareness in us all of what’s important. It taught us to look around and embrace what we already have in life, and to enjoy our immediate surroundings. In terms of the outdoors that meant taking a different view of whats on our doorstep, that we can enjoy, little walks, or trials that we may have overlooked by trying to find something more adventurous or special.
Getting outdoors has always been an important part of my life, growing up in the outskirts of Glasgow meant my immediate environment was very urban, there wasn’t a lot of green space or countryside, but regardless I always found a way to spend as much time as possible outdoors.
Big adventures were few and far between, it was the ‘everyday adventures’: the bike rides, the walks, or finding ways to create a space to play tennis or rounders that made me happy. As a group of kids, we had to be creative and use our imaginations, all of which added to the enjoyment and taught me how to appreciate and make the most of what I had on my doorstep. Creating our own playground was a great way to find joy and happiness in simple outdoor activities.
This love of the outdoors has stayed with me throughout my adult life and is one of the reasons I set up FINDRA. I am only too aware of the benefits spending time outdoors has on our mental health, even if it's just 15 or 20 minutes.
Taking time away from the intensity of what you are doing to get some fresh air and perspective is so important and can often help with problem-solving, or even just viewing worries in a new light. The impact of being in nature can change your state of mind in a more constructive and positive way.
Building time into our day to get outdoors is not easy, for me it’s something I have always had to work hard at, to ensure it's part of my daily routine. Founding and running a business can be all consuming, working long hours and weekends is often the norm and I have at times found myself having less time to do the things I love, and know are essential to my wellbeing. I have on several occasions over the last few years found myself preaching to everyone about the huge benefits of being in nature and getting outdoors, whilst quickly realising I am sometimes very guilty of not taking my own advice! The Irony!
Amidst all the responsibilities and stresses of life finding time to do the things we love and enjoy is not always something we can easily integrate into our lives readily. But it is possibly one of the more important things to prioritise.
Modern life can be so overwhelming, we live in a world that’s full of white noise, and a bombardment of excessive information. We can often find ourselves preoccupied, thinking of one thing while doing another! I know I am very guilty of that!
Taking time to get outdoors offers us the opportunity to be more mindful, to live in the moment and to exist in harmony with the environment around us.
That’s why I love the spring, for me the increase in daylight acts as a motivator to start to plan and commit to being outdoors on a more regular basis.
Often It's making the decision to do it though that’s the hardest, yet once we have and we get outdoors it's about letting go our worries, putting them to the back of our mind for the time being and just being present.
Taking in the smells, the view, listening to the sounds as you walk or cycle, really immersing yourself in the details of your surroundings.
Give yourself the permission to have 30 minutes or longer if you can to be in nature, to escape from the dramas and pressures of everyday life, create space and time to give back to ourselves and re-calibrate.
There will always be a long ‘to-do” list, always, but with a little bit of outdoor time, we might just find that our responsibilities don’t seem nearly as daunting, or that we can gain that all-important perspective to take on all that life throws at us.
I truly believe that if we can all allow ourselves at least 30 minutes a day to exercise and get outdoors, then we will improve our mental health and well-being dramatically.
Go on try it, take some time, decide when and where you will go on your “everyday adventure” then commit to it and do it.
No one ever regrets getting outdoors!
If you want to share with us what you enjoy about being out outdoors or what inspires you to get outdoors please get in touch as we would love to share your story.
Alex x
WIN Ed Shoote's Gravel Riding Book and a pair of FINDRA Merino wool socks!
For the chance for you and a friend to win a copy of one of Ed’s ‘Gravel Rides Scotland’ books and a pair of FINDRA merino socks.
- Follow us on social media
- Like our pages and
- Tag a friend - so that you can both be in with a chance to win!
The competition runs from 7.30 pm on Sunday the 20th of March to 11.59 pm on Sunday the 27th of March.
The winner will be announced through social media
Inspirational Film
A beautiful and inspirational film from "Escape" tells the story of Friend of FINDRA Lee Craigie’s inner journey along the Caledonian Way.
Inspirational Quote
‘ And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul’-John Muir
Music of the week
Mr E’s Beautiful Day by the Eels
