Stop reading this and go outside. Really. Americans are not spending enough time outdoors and I feel it contributes to our stress-laced culture more than most people realize.
According to National Public Radio, the percentage of Americans taking part in nature-based activities has declined at more than 1 percent each year since the late 1980s, meaning that participation is down 18 to 25 percent from historic peak levels.
In a technologically-centric culture, we continue to rely on gizmos and gadgets to entertain us. I can remember even just ten years ago how much more time my friends and I spent outside- playing sports, exploring the creek near my house or just walking around the Martinez waterfront. But slowly, that free time started to fill up with mall excursions, video game sessions or visits to the movie theater. Family camping trips turned into Disneyland visits and nature became something reserved for the hippies.
But four years ago I practically fell into a job as a counselor at a Girl Scout camp. I lived and worked in the Sierra Nevadas for a month and a half with no Internet, no cell phone and certainly no video games. Tiring at times, frustrating at others, by the end of the summer that experience stood as one of the best I’d ever had. From that point on I made a conscious effort to spend more time in nature and it’s a resolution that has greatly improved my personal life and emotional health.
Fight with the roommate? Just take a hike through the hills.
Boy trouble? Nothing works quite as well as a walk by the water.
Worn down by the daily grind? Camping trip, please!
Nature keeps me sane. When times are bad, a walk through the green-carpeted hills reminds me that daily struggles are trivial compared to the enormous beauty that surrounds us. In good times, a trip with some friends into Tilden Park offers the perfect setting for my sunny disposition.
Marissa Perez, a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz, a campus known for its natural beauty, said, “I like to go to the beach or the woods because it’s so quiet. I can just listen to nature and really clear my head. It also helps when I have to think, because I can tune out everything else except the problem at hand.”
Environmentalists preach that we need to save the world. I often think the more effective approach would be to get people out and experiencing the natural world so that they understand how IT can save THEM. Outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, camping or rock climbing can reduce stress, put you in touch with something greater than your own problems and help get you into shape.
As for the environmental movement, the best way to garner support for a cause is to make the cause relevant to as many people as possible. The more people spend time in and appreciate nature, the more they will favor legislation that seeks to protect it. Just a thought, Green Party.
My challenge to you all is to go do one thing this week that requires you to interact with nature. Be it a hike, a bike ride or even a little bit of gardening. Do it! You’ll be glad that you did.
Photos by Colleen McCullough
Love the first line, it made me want to read your article. Of course, I am going for a walk right after this comment.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you offered a solution to daily problems.
I also love the way you wrote it. Descriptive and persuasive.
Thank you for the inspiration!
I agree with the statistics because families back in the day actually did something nature inclined and went our for picnics. When do you ever see families going out on picnics now? Camper that camp usually have their family owned RVs. What's the fun in camping out in an RV.
ReplyDeleteMy family and I camped a lot when I was younger but now... not much.
I agree...It has a lot to do with the "gizmos", as you mentioned.
Anyway, it's nice to see someone appreciating nature. I am doing an essay on nature and one of the author uses a lot of imagery. Her name is "Mary Oliver". Look her up.
thanks for the read
I absolutely adore your post. I think that you have a writing style of your own, and you don't circle around the same points over and over -- you are sharp with your sentences. Focused. Great job!!
ReplyDelete