Happy Monday!! I hope everyone is doing well! I know yesterday was especially hard for a lot of us, so I hope you are feeling at least a little better this morning. My prayers and deepest condolences go out to the families of those lost in that tragic helicopter crash! I was on instagram yesterday looking at all the posts honoring Kobe Bryant and while I'm not very passionate about basketball, I can empathize and also recognize his legacy. A snippet from one of his interviews caught my attention and encouraged me. In the video he said "life is too short to get bogged down, and be discouraged...put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling." I feel encouraged, and I encourage you guys to pursue your dreams with intense diligence and focus, live life intentionally and most of all tell your loved ones that you love them. Thank you Kobe <3
So, in today's blogpost, I want to talk about something that is very important to me. That is, time spent in nature. I grew up on the country side in St. Catherine, Jamaica. My dad had flowers everywhere and there were trees surrounding my house. When I moved to New York to pursue tertiary education, I began to embrace nature even more than I did growing up. You all know by now that I went back home to visit family for the winter break. I was able to spend some time in nature and it was lovely. Nature in Jamaica involves lizards, lol! and I'm scared of them, so, I definitely took some caution. I was able to enjoy the fresh air, enjoy the foliage and the beautiful flowers, butterflies and of course some of Jamaicas gems.
Living in New York, for me, sometimes includes being inside for most of the day, either at school, work, home or church. In 2018 I started to intentionally seek out nature around me. In the constant go go go and busyness of life, sometimes nature can be easy to miss. I started to enjoy the sunsets and even sunrises whenever I had early mornings. I started to notice the trees around and even flowers. I even ended up bringing nature into my closed spaces. This can be great for days when you really can't go outside. I started gardening as well and it was one of the best things I did for my mental, spiritual and physical health.
Here's how spending time in nature helped my health:
- It allowed me to connect with God on a deeper level. Being outside allowed me to really see God's grandeur. Seriously, being able to experience a really gorgeous sunset or see a beautiful flower has given me the ability to experience his love even in the simplest of things. He provides so much for us. Trees to give us oxygen, so that we can breathe and thrive. God is incredibly good! I also feel like there is no barrier between us when I talk to him outside. I know you can talk to him anywhere, but when I am outside, the experience is amplified. I am at my best when I feel connected to God and nature has helped tremendously with that. Additionally, there are so many lessons we can learn from nature. Gardening has taught me a lot about God's love and even life in general. Just like a fruit takes time to grow, so do we. Patience is key.
- It also helped me to feel grounded. These days we can get caught up with social media as well as a busy work life. Taking some time to just go outside and unplug from everything gave me the chance to reflect and refocus. It has also helped me recognize what I am really grateful for. Things like, my mental health, family, future prospects etc.
- It helped to quiet my brain and therefore, calmed any anxiety. Breathing in the fresh air and just being present in the moment is good for all of us. It can be hard, as the culture tells us we should be working constantly. However, taking time outside away from everything is necessary. In fact, it can boost your mood and help you work better.
Going outside and appreciating nature is one of the ways I like to engage in selfcare.
Some suggestions for spending time outside:
- If the weather is conducive, take your workout outside.
- Go for a walk.
- Watch the sunrise/sunset and journal.
- Go to a nature park and spend some time with God.
- Take pictures of things you see outside that you enjoy. For me, being outside in nature has reopened my creative side. This has been instrumental in boosting my mood. Everything is so beautiful!
- Have a picnic with friends or family at the beach
There is so much more that you can do. Do you like nature? What are some fun things you like to do outside? Comment down below.
Thank you guys for spending a few minutes with me! Don't forget to subscribe to the blog and share this post with your friends and family.
Peace, love and blessings,
Kaydine
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