My Number One Strategy When Life is Really Challenging
If you are in a challenging season, first of all, I'm sorry. That really sucks, actually it's s***. We don't need to put a bow tie on a turd. But we do need a few strategies to anchor to when the world around us is storming.
I think about this a lot. What do we do when everything is too hard? When life comes crashing upon us and even remaining upright feels impossible.
In those times it's not about shining brightly. It's a season in time we strip it all back and focus one day at a time. Finding moments of pure joy, moments in the mundane. It's about the seemingly small things that bring colour back to our cheeks. We drop the plastic balls that don't really matter and focus our energy on the glass ones. You know the ones, the glass balls that so easily get set aside to pander to society's expectations.
In these seasons we strip it back, we get in nature, we calm the nervous system and re-calibrate. Knowing, like the earth's seasons that this too shall pass. Nature shows us this. I know, I know. "Daisy - I'm going to need something a bit more monumental than that." Let me explain.
In self-development and therapy, we have these pretty lofty concepts. People will say to trust, or to let go, to surrender or create boundaries. All really great ideas, but how the f do we do that?
When we place ourselves in nature, we see these concepts right before our very eyes. We see the sun rise, set, and rise again. We see the trees lose their leaves, let them go, and then flourish once again. We see deeply rooted trees withstanding even the wildest of weather (if they can so can we). We see these concepts represented in nature, and if we cannot trust in them in our own life, we can borrow the trust nature has.
Being in nature helps us gain perspective, reminding us of the larger cycles of life and the resilience that is inherent in the natural world. Borrow that from it.
That aside, let's look at what happens in our body and mind when we are in nature.
Spending time in nature has a profound effect on our nervous system. When we're in a natural environment, our body begins to relax, our mind starts to quiet, and our overall sense of well-being improves. Here are a few key ways this happens:
Reduced Stress Hormones: Being in nature activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the 'rest and digest' functions of our body. This lowers levels of cortisol, the body's main stress hormone. Helping to decrease anxious feelings and stress, promoting a state of calmness.
Enhanced Mood and Emotional Well-Being: Natural settings are associated with increased production of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that are key to regulating mood and promoting feelings of happiness and pleasure.
You can see in these two examples how this seemingly small action, of getting in nature creates positive ripple effects that reverberate through all areas of our life.
Instead of trying to do everything (hello overwhelm) in a bid to improve your life. Lets instead pick one or two things and see, or even better, feel how they impact you.
Let's Put This Into Action
Place yourself in nature, get comfortable, take off your shoes and feel a connection with the earth. Take in the scenery, and feel with your senses. Open a fresh page of your journal and begin to mind dump. Mind dumping is the first technique you will learn in our journal. It's a free-flowing style of journaling where you get all the thoughts out of your head and onto the page.
By connecting with nature and engaging in a mindful practice like journaling, you can find clarity and peace even in the most challenging times. Nature's rhythms and resilience offer a powerful reminder that we too can endure and flourish.
