I have no idea how many times I’ve admired a beautiful sunset when just passing by. I’ve stopped briefly just to have a quick stare at a starry sky and then kept on walking to wherever I was heading. I’ve wandered along a forest path in silence or sat by the ocean and let the waves mentally rock me while a feeling of calmness fills my body and thought to myself “I need to do this more often”. Nature. So wonderfully filled with beauty if you only take your time to enjoy it. Be fully present in it. Let it fill you up with calmness.
When I was living in New Zealand I spent a lot of time outside and went on a hike most weekends. There were so many nice ones and the climate made it even more enjoyable. I lived so close to the ocean that it was my bedroom view and the first thing I saw when waking up in the morning. My daily commute was initially by the coast. I remember how a smile spread across my face when walking down to my car in the mornings when I got to witness how the morning sun was shining across the glistening sea and I inhaled the fresh ocean air. What a wonderful way to start the day.
A couple of weeks ago it hit me how big of an impact nature can have on me and my inner zen mode. I’d felt overstimulated and tense in my body for some time and tried meditating, deep breathing, working out, stretching and yin yoga and it might have eased off for a while, but somehow I still felt drained. Then one evening I tagged along out in the forest and got to admire the sun as it set behind the horizon leaving behind an orange shimmer in the still water before darkness came. Once again I was reminded how beautiful a sunset can be, a phenomenon that occurs daily whether we notice it or not. The next day I wanted more, so I spent 3 hours in the woods of Fäboda and on the cliffs by the sea. Listened to the birds. Smelled the trees. Felt the warming sun on my face and the wind in my hair. I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Felt how nature filled me with energy, inspiration and gratefulness. Call it mindfulness or effects of awe, but no wonder New Zealand made me so happy when I regularly got my nature fix. Except during summer, this is unfortunately something I easily forget in Finland when it so quickly gets cold and dark. (Note to self to do something about the forgetting part).
Whether you have exhausted yourself physically, mentally or just feeling overstimulated it is crucial to prioritize recovery in order to last in the long run. Skipping the recovery is like not filling up your car with fuel when needed and we all know how that story ends. Most people understand that we need sleep to recharge, but did you know that if you sleep six hours per night for two weeks that equals having a 0,8 blood alcohol level? In Finland the limit for drunk driving is 0,5. According to research we need an average of 7,5 hours of sleep per night plus regular breaks in order to perform fully.
Recharging doesn’t only mean sleeping at night, equally important is spending time doing activities that gives you energy. What activities that may be can differ from person to person, but also from day to day or from a moment to the next. What works for you might not work for your neighbor and what works for you today might not work tomorrow. Recharging may be a good old powernap or a moment of meditation, but it can also mean a sweaty gym session/run, quality time with someone you love, a cup of tea in front of the fireplace, creating something, cuddle or if you have young kids it might just be having a moment to yourself while using the bathroom. It’s about asking yourself what you need in that moment. I know that a fun and sweaty gym session may work for me after a stressful day at work or if my brain is going way past overload, but I’ve learned to listen to my body. Sometimes a chill evening on the couch is a better alternative or maybe three hours out in the woods like I mentioned earlier. I’d like to argue that I’ve managed to create some pretty healthy habits for myself and I know that routines make me feel good, but sometimes I need to break these routines in order to do something else. Sometimes I skip the gym to just relax on the couch and sometimes I save my “should do’s” for another day in order to spend time with a loved one. It’s so important to listen to your body, sometimes it knows what you need better than you do yourself.
What do you need to top up with in order to reset your energy and feel like YOU again?
[The photo is from my hike in the woods of Fäboda, Jakobstad]