Sunday, January 19, 2020

Go Outside for 5 Intentional Minutes



Today's assignment is to go outdoors for five minutes and look around. Y'all. When I say we're easing into the new year and having a gentle January, I'm not kidding.

Why outside? Because there are proven physical and mental health benefits of being in nature.

Multiple studies show that walking, hiking, camping and the like are fantastic ways to fight depression but depending on where you live all of that might be a lot to ask in the dead of winter. So what do I want you to do?

Go outside and observe. You may feel like winter doesn't have anything beautiful to look at. It's a time when a lot of us are just longing for spring with its flowering branches and fancy blossoms and its bustling garden centers. But every season has its own beauty.

Here are some suggestions: 

A winter sunrise.

The lines of a bare tree.

A dark starry sky.

The single frost-covered branch of an evergreen.

The wondrous promise of an acorn.

The intricacy of a pine cone.

A bird on a branch.

The springy green of boxwood.

Give yourself a few minutes away from screens and step out of the house. Take a moment to observe some simple natural thing. Breathe in the cool air you'll be wishing for come July. Let it fill your lungs and say a little prayer of gratitude that there is always beauty to be found by those who look for it.


1 comment:

  1. I LOVE being outside....it has been so rainy here lately that we haven't been able to really enjoy it. So good, even 5 minutes...even if I just stand on my porch...just get out there. Okay, I'll do that today.

    ReplyDelete

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