I’m sitting at my office desk on a humid summers afternoon. The fluorescent light reflects off my keyboard, the combination of the radio playing Justin Biebers latest hit for the fourth time today and the seemingly never ending sound of drilling drifting through the open window from the street workers below is giving me a mild headache. Even though I have invested in a ergonomically designed chair and splashed out the extra for the foam support thing, my back is also aching from the seven hours of sitting so far today.
My mind is distracted, I’m procrastinating, I know I have things to do but I can’t seem to muster the clarity or motivation to do them. As I stare aimlessly at one of my three computer screens, I suddenly realise that I’m not actually looking at anything on the screen… I’m looking at the default Macbook air screensaver… Its the face of a mountain, a scattering of trees, a rose coloured sky and the light of the setting sun is illuminating the grey rock.
Suddenly a flash of inspiration engages my mind. Its nothing to do with the work I’m supposed to be doing… instead its the inspiration for the words you’re reading now! In my mind I had posed the question to myself “How can I expect to have a clear mind when I’m working in a environment that’s working against me?”
Surely the artificial light, the jackhammer, sitting down all day, the inescapable information overload from the multiple computer screens, background TV, two mobile phones and Justin Bieber on repeat are not the natural, optimised environment for my body and mind! Instead, wouldn’t my body and mind flourish if I was somewhere more akin to the image on my screensaver where I could walk, run, climb, move freely, where the air is clear and unpolluted, the only distraction is the eagle soaring overhead, the natural spring water is fresh and pure, where I can connect with the ‘real’natural world rather than this ‘domesticated’ artificial World.
“There is no Wifi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection”
Our environment has a huge impact on our mental state and it has been widely documented that spending time in nature has many health benefits. And it seems that more people are waking up to the fact that perhaps city living, inactivity, polluted air, overeating of processed foods and overloading our senses might not be doing us much good.
And don’t just take my word for it, you only have to look at the rising popularity of the paleo diet, based on foods eaten by early humans. Then there’s the growing followings of people like Mark Sisson (www.marksdailyapple.com) who has developed a lifestyle program based on our primal ancestors and Daniel Vitalis (www.danielvitalis.com) who shows people how to ‘Rewild’ and restore your natural undomesticated state.
Daniel says “I’ve come to believe that all strength, all vigor and all vitality emanates from the wildness of a thing. The further down the path of domestication we travel the more mal-adapted we become. Our health degenerates as does our will and sense of purpose”.
Now I know that it would be somewhat unrealistic for everyone who lives in a city and spends the majority of their time sitting, indoors, in sedated environments to move to the country and live in mud huts, foraging for their own food in the wilderness. However, there are things you can do that could increase your clarity of mind by embracing nature. Here are a few ideas:
Get active at the weekends – If you need to be in an office during the working week, then make time in your weekends to get outdoors. Go for a walk in the woods, explore an area of countryside that you’ve not been to before or get to the beach if the coast is accessible.
Take a trip – If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands… go on an adventure… go camping somewhere that’s only accessible by foot, climb a mountain, kayak down a river, go mountain biking… There’s not much that beats being in nature, having a great experience and the sense of achievement you have when you reach the summit of a mountain!
Do some earthing – If you’ve got less time, then try and escape the office for fifteen minutes at lunchtime, head to the closest park, take your shoes off, turn your phone off and spend ten minutes walking bare foot on the grass… just walking slowly, nothing else. This is a great way to connect with nature and move mindfully. Yeah, some people might stare at that person in their suit without their shoes on… but who cares… they’re the ones missing out!
See green – At the very least, have a plant on your desk or a picture of the countryside. Studies have shown that people can feel happier simply by looking at the colour green! And if you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, then stand up every 45 minutes and move, stretch, go and look out of the window and take a deep breath for a quick mental reset.
“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright”. ~Henry David Thoreau