We’re here! Welcome to 2025.
Hope you had a great holiday. I’m glad to be back to business as usual!
This week’s note is on the criticality of getting outside before making big decisions. I’ll share my recent lived experience, and we’ll look at how that compares to science about time in nature.
The lived experience – I almost got my direction for 2025 completely wrong!
Towards the end of the year, I started a mind-map to capture ideas for 2025. It was pretty intense – HRV tracking, more Zone 2 Cardio, income goals, focusing on 10x instead of 2x, and blah blah BLAH.
I was totally bought into the hyper-achieving direction, however. Trying to control to find safety is my default programming if I’m not mindful.
Thankfully, my dear partner suggested we go to the beach to reflect. (He’s better at living Time Away ideals than I am-ha!)
Staring out at the ocean, I realized I had it all wrong. The point of my year needs to be about enjoyment. Putting my life first – not caregiving or spending time with sick parents, not on my business, and not even on my health. It’s time to focus on play and fun. [As context, in 2021-2022, I nearly lost a family member to substance abuse; in 2023, I completed two coaching certifications simultaneously, and in 2024, I got laid off, had a miscarriage, started a business, and got engaged. It’s time to relax!]
The science – Nature’s ability to mother us.
Studies on nature-based therapy and on nature and happiness conclude time in nature:
- Increases self-esteem and decreases depression
- Improves motivation and provides a sense of meaningfulness
- Possibly releases oxytocin which reduces fear and stress
- Generates awe and a sense of the ‘small self,’ putting cares into perspective
This level of feel-good clarity is what I want for all of us as we choose where to invest our time, money, and energy. Your contributions are worth the time it takes to get perspective.
Make your goals, then take a long walk to a good perch and stare at the horizon. See if they still feel right!
All the best,
Kit
