A key pillar in my coaching program, Burnout to Bliss, is spending time outdoors—in nature.

Why is it one of the six non-negotiable practices you’ll focus on developing inside the program?

Because, just like the other self-care practices, 

Being in nature is a huge game-changer. 

If you want to improve your sleep,

If you want to feel happier and be healthier,

If you want to feel refreshed and rejuvenated,

If you want to live a life you love,

Spending time outdoors is a key component to making that a reality. 

As someone who grew up where winters can have temperatures in the minus 30s Celcius and summers bring mosquitos and other creepy crawlies, I wasn’t a big fan of ‘being out in nature’. It wasn’t until I started travelling more in my twenties that I really began to appreciate being outdoors and experiencing all that nature had to offer. 

While on a working holiday visa in Australia, some of my favourite jobs were spent working outdoors. I discovered WWOOFing early on and I’m so grateful I did. Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms is an exchange program where volunteers do 4-6 hours of farming and gardening per day in exchange for their full food and accommodation. 

As a city girl, this was a novel experience for me and I wasn’t sure I would like it, but getting free food and accommodation while I travelled around the country made it hard to pass up. It turns out many of my favourite memories from that year are tied to connections I made while WWOOFing. 

My first position was working on a small farm helping feed and care for the chickens, sheep, and cows. A couple of others included a spot at a bed and breakfast that grew all their own fruit and vegetables for guests, a Tasmanian wombat sanctuary that was housed in an old nunnery, and a three week stay in Coober Pedy where I helped set up an indigenous art gallery, an opal store, and I got to care for orphaned kangaroos! 

Conservation Volunteers Australia was another organisation that I volunteered for while I was in Western Australia. Working with other international travellers on trail upkeep and maintenance in Purnululu National Park was a highlight of my year. Being with like-minded people who also appreciated natural wonders and wanted to help preserve them helped shape my ideas about nature and my place in it.

In retrospect, I spent almost all of my time outdoors that year and I absolutely loved it. 

Its impact on my mental health was undeniable—after suffering from depression and anxiety in university and then career burnout, this year-long leave in Australia did more for my mental health than any other treatment I had tried previously. 

And there’s scientific research to back my own experience, that spending time in nature is a game-changer for your mental health. 

It can:

• Lessen symptoms of anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation

• Reduce irritability

• Increase feelings of calmness

• Increase endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, your ‘happiness chemicals’

• Improve concentration and attention, positively affecting memory and learning

• Regulate mood and sleep

• Lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol (stress hormone)

• Boost your immune system

• Aid your digestion

Our brains do better when they’re exposed to fresh air and sunlight. Research is now telling us that getting outside and getting sunlight exposure in the morning is vital for our circadian rhythms, for our Vitamin D intake, and for our sleep.  

So let me ask you: 

• Do you enjoy spending time outdoors?

• How much time are you currently spending in nature a week?

• Have you noticed how you feel when you have spent time being active outside?

• What activities could you do outside this season?

• How could you add more time in nature to your day/week/month/year?

How much nature do you need?

A minimum of 2 hours a week is needed to significantly increase your health and well-being. 

Being active outside is like lighting two candles with one flame: you get all the benefits of being in nature AND all the benefits from physical activity!

What do you do once outside?

Be mindful. 

Use your five senses: What do you notice about your surroundings? What do you see, hear, smell? What can you touch and taste? (Be careful with touch and taste, however, some plants are poisonous!) 

This is also a great way to enjoy nature with your kids. Try a nature scavenger hunt to make it even more fun!

Think ahead and be safe, especially if you are alone. 

Dress for the weather, bring enough food and water, know the risks, and be prepared (sunscreen, insect repellent, bear spray), and tell someone where you will be. A lot of this depends on where you are and who you’re going with, but I’ve found that the experience is always better when you’re prepared. 

Being outside, enjoying the sun’s warmth on your skin and the breeze through your hair is a simple pleasure we get to prioritize. 

Sipping your morning coffee while lounging on the deck, recharging your brain with a lunch break stroll, and unwinding from the day as you weed your garden and tend your yard are all easy ways to add a bit more nature to your day. 

I, for one, am ready to spend as much of my time as I can outdoors with my kids and my partner. 

Morning walks, afternoon bike rides, lots of playground visits, a nature scavenger hunt or two, and hiking in the mountains when we can get away are all part of the plan for an amazing summer. 

What are your plans for getting active outside this summer?

Come DM me on Instagram, I’d love to hear from you!

P.S. Wondering about the other five non-negotiable self-care practices in Burnout to Bliss?

Like enjoying time outdoors, they are ALL game-changers. Once we’ve co-created your (totally doable) self-care plan, you’ll feel happier, healthier, and more confident—ready to dream big and live bigger.

Together we’ll help you be the brave, strong, powerful woman you want to be (even if you’ve always hated working out). Being active and bursting with energy requires the “right” nourishment. You’ll uncover what’s right for you as you learn to listen to your body and give it what it needs to thrive. And of course, to have the energy to keep up with your kids, you must have healthy sleep habits, so we’ll develop your unique restorative rituals.

To round out your new self-care practices you’ll strengthen your mindset so life’s daily challenges (because those aren’t going anywhere) don’t ruin your newfound state of bliss. 

And—most importantly of all—you’ll learn to truly (madly, deeply) love yourself (mistakes, failures, and all).

Because you are worthy of love and you are worthy of living a life of bliss. Let’s get started.