‘I’ll go outside just as soon as I’ve finished this piece of work’.
There’s always a bit more work to do; clothes that need to be put through the wash, the errand I need to run, that email I haven’t yet responded to, a never-ending list of tasks I should really get on to. It’s a litany of pressures and expectations - from myself, my work, the necessities of modern life, society, family - that tells me who I am, what I should be achieving and how I should be acting.
It can even impact how I feel about time outside. That it should be productive, that I should be using it to get fitter, or increase my skill level in some way. In short, I’ve often felt that I need to earn my time outside, and that even while I’m there, I should be achieving something, and for me that’s often taken the joy out of it.
But this wasn’t always the case, and I suspect something similar is true for a lot of people.
When I was a little girl, I spent my school holidays with my grandparents, and usually this meant wandering through the woods next to the house for hours on end on my own, playing made up games and ‘lets pretend’. I’d find patches of white wood anemone flowers, spot minnows in the stream that ran between the trees, or build dens out of branches. I’d imagine myself as a lonely but self-sufficient castaway stranded on an island, or as an adventurer seeking treasure, bravely facing challenges and obstacles.
This time provided ample opportunity for imagination and storytelling, certainly, but in a way that I didn’t really recognise at the time, it allowed me to try on different futures and subconsciously work out what I liked, what was important to me, and what I wanted to be.
There’s plenty of research that shows the immense benefits of outdoor play in nature for child development. It promotes physical health, social skills, imagination, reduces stress, helps kids sleep better, and more besides. Recently, there’s also been more research into the benefits of time in nature for adults too, and perhaps unsurprisingly it’s much the same as for children with positive impacts on physical and mental health.
I feel great when I get outside, and as I’ve gradually unlearned that pressure to be always achieving and always productive, I’ve rediscovered my little girl love of just being in nature. And while it’s fun being out with my friends, it’s always been particularly important for me to have some of this time alone.
At this time of year, the focus is often on spending time with your significant other. But I think that year round it’s important to take the same care, attention and consideration with your significant self.
The philosopher Alan Watts said “to spend a lengthy period alone in the forests or mountains… is to discover who, or what, one really is - a discovery hardly possible while the community is telling you what you are, or ought to be.”
When I’m outside and solo, I can live truly in the moment. I don’t have to think about what to say or worry if the other person is having a good time. I spot more things that my busy mind would usually speed past. I’ll notice red mushrooms sprouting through the brown earth of the forest floor, or spot water droplets twinkling on the bright green of intricate mosses. I’ll breathe in the subtle scents carried on the breeze, hear an osprey calling, or spot a badger rustle across the path. Each of these magical little moments is a privilege to experience, a little shaft of delight that makes life more colourful.
Time outdoors, away from the pressure of expectation, gives me the chance to appreciate my mind and body. I enjoy the feeling of my leg muscles working as I stomp up a hill, or how tingly my skin feels after a dip into a cold river. As I walk, I can puzzle out how I feel about X, Y or Z without being too distracted by the dirty dishes sitting by the sink.
And like that little girl, I can investigate possibilities in my mind. We encourage these thoughts in children - why does that stop as we grow up? On my solo nature dates, away from the societal onslaught of what I should be doing or achieving, I can question myself and check in with my body and mind. I can think about what I want to be, how I want to feel, or what I want to explore in life.
We never stop developing and growing. There are always possibilities and opportunities. Take some time to connect with yourself, out in nature, and listen to what your body and mind is telling you, or just take some time to breathe and to be.
There’s a beautiful quote by Scottish writer Nan Shepherd, who spent years exploring the hills and mountains: ‘As I penetrate more deeply into the mountain’s life, I penetrate also into my own. I am not out of myself, but in myself. I am. To know Being, this is the final grace accorded from the mountain.’
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Sunday Inspiration
Favourite Podcast
On the Outside is a podcast that explores news, events and social issues around the outdoors in the UK. The discussions are always interesting and important with a diverse range of speakers and perspectives.
Favourite Quote
‘Reculer pour mieux sauter’ which means ‘step back to leap forward’. It’s a French saying my mum is particularly fond of. Sometimes you need to regroup or recuperate before making a move, and that’s as important as forward momentum.
