A Beautiful Gift…Nature
As a child, I spent countless hours in nature. I loved being in nature; rain or shine, hot or cold, day or night. The love was passed to me by my parents. Vacations were camping trips. Weekends were long hikes, fishing trips, sports, picking fruits or vegetables out of the garden, swimming, snow tubing, and throwing tents up in the backyard at my grandparent’s house. I was an anxious child, but the anxiety would let up when I was outdoors. For me, nature brought a sense of calmness, excitement, and freedom that nothing else provided me. As I became a teenager my love for nature remained, but the amount of time I spent in nature lessened. Other things begun to fill my time like work, extracurricular activities at school or church, and relationships. It would take me years to realize that a decrease in nature would equal an increase in anxiety. I think I subconsciously chose to run cross country in high school as an opportunity to be in nature more even though I was the slowest person on the team. My coach would encourage me to run faster, and I would say “I am good coach.” Afterwards, he would remind me that if I could talk while running than I could run faster. I was out there to enjoy my time in nature.
When I went off to college my time spent in nature increased. Nature was a beautiful gift to me. If I was feeling happy, adventurous, loved, or at peace then nature encouraged me to explore. If I was feeling stressed, sad, confused, anxious, angry, overwhelmed, or irrational then nature would welcome me with open arms, and remind me to breathe. It was easy to gather my thoughts in the silence of nature. It was a safe place, my safe place. After college, I started a full-time job. I learned creative ways to spend time in nature like getting up early to have breakfast while listening to the birds and watching the sun rise or driving country roads instead of the highway. Nature has many things to teach us if we are open to it. One thing I know is true is that nature is there for me everyday if I choose to opt in. It is free, it is beautiful, and it is a gift. I encourage you to opt into nature and discover the many ways it can be a gift to you.
On Sundays Halos Counseling does a #nofiltersundays and puts a picture of nature on Instagram and Facebook. Follow us there!
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