The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature: Why You’ll Love Being Outdoors and Feel How Good It Is for Your Mind and Body
Spending time in nature has been shown to have a range of mental health benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to improving mood and cognitive function. In fact, research has found that just 20 minutes of outdoor exercise per week can lead to significant improvements in mental health and well-being. So, what is it about nature that makes it so good for our mental health? One theory is that being in nature helps to reduce the amount of stress hormones in the body, while increasing the production of feel-good chemicals like serotonin. Nature can also provide a sense of peace and tranquility, which can help to relax the mind and promote a sense of well-being. In addition to stress reduction, nature can also improve mood and self-esteem. Being in nature has been shown to increase feelings of happiness and contentment, as well as boost self-esteem and self-worth. One study found…
MONDAY MOTIVATION MINUTE – Be extremely careful of what you practice because you will undoubtedly become good at it!
When you want to get better at something, you practice. While it can be a hopeless endeavor to try for perfection, you can always strive to get better. There is a muscle memory that is developed through repetition. And repetition comes from practicing. I can remember standing in the gym shooting 100 free throws before practice and 100 free throws after practice. I wanted to be able to hit free throws when I’m cold right off the bench and when I was dead tired at the end of overtime. So I practiced. I wanted to hike the incredible peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and not be completely exhausted when I reached the summit, so I used to load up my backpack with weights and walk up and down my stairs to get ready for a backpacking trip. My muscles got stronger and my coordination better through repetition. The same…