Go Outside, Play: Manage your stress
“Finding time for yourself is not selfish”
Go outside and Play
Make time to access your inner child.
If you’re not doing some form of stress management, you will sabotage all of your best efforts with diet, exercise, and supplements.
If your physician or other healthcare provider says you must reduce your stress, ask what methods they recommend. Perhaps they’ve heard of heart rate variability, Valerie is certified in Heart Math and has an active practice particularly with referrals from doctors. Christopher’s holistic life coach training mentorship is a natural for stress relief, be it situational or life stress.
Go Outside
Research has proven that spending time outdoors, including contact with nature, is just as important to health and well-being as sleep, exercise and a healthy diet.
Get outside when you can, and aim for 15 to 20 minutes of midday sun exposure two to three days each week. This amount of time will vary based on skin tone, time of year and latitude. Some recommendations include going without sunscreen but check with your healthcare practitioner and get an annual skin check.
Spend as much time in nature as your schedule and lifestyle permit. Aim for a minimum of two excursions into nature, including urban parks and green spaces, each week.
Exercise outdoors whenever possible, and on varied terrain that includes hills, trails, rocks, and other natural features.
Put plants in your home and workspace. If you have outdoor space, plant a simple garden.
Get Serious about Play
In our culture, play is often dismissed as a waste of time. However, research suggests that play may encourage flexibility and variability in behavior and adaptation to a changing environment. Some research (specifically studying bears) even suggests that play may contribute to living longer and healthier lives, along with directly contributing to the growth of certain brain regions.
Try adding more play into your life.
Embrace your Inner Child: Think about what you enjoyed as a kid and see if you can bring that joy back into your life.
Make a list of play activities. Write down a list of ways you love to play and put it somewhere you’ll see it every day. It’s easy to leave out play when we are caught up in everyday life, trying to get through our to-do list, so leave the list where it will nudge you to find a few minutes for play.
Create opportunities for play. Throw a ball for your dog, play hide-and-seek with your kids (or adults!) or just go for an aimless or mindful walk in your favorite park. Read more about mindful walking.