There is a part of me that thinks it is absolutely ridiculous that we have to be reminded that going outside is good for us.

Like...really, humans?

We need an infographic?

We need eight scientifically backed reasons?

We need someone to tell us that trees, sunlight, fresh air, movement, changing temperatures, water, dirt and being surrounded by other living things might actually be good for our brains and bodies?

COME ON!

We evolved outside.

For the vast majority of human history, being outdoors wasn't a wellness practice. It wasn't something you had to schedule.

It was life.

We walked outside to get somewhere.

We worked outside.

We gathered food outside.

We experienced heat and cold.

We moved our bodies over uneven ground.

We watched the seasons change.

We were surrounded by trees, animals, water, wind, fire, sunlight and darkness.

Our nervous systems evolved in that environment.

And then we built houses. Then cars. Then offices. Then air conditioning. Then heated seats (which 🙏 how great are those?!)

Then grocery delivery.

Then screens that can entertain us from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to bed.

And suddenly our brains have become very comfortable with comfortable.

Our bodies, however, haven't evolved nearly as quickly.

Your brain likes predictable.

One of the things I find fascinating about our nervous system is how strongly it seeks homeostasis—the maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment.

Your body is constantly regulating temperature, blood pressure, breathing, blood sugar, energy expenditure and countless other processes.

So when you step outside into 35-degree air after sitting in your 72-degree living room, your body has to do something.

You shiver. Your blood vessels constrict. Your metabolism adjusts. You become more alert.

Your body responds.

And our brains can interpret that initial discomfort as a reason to retreat back toward the familiar.

"Nope. Too cold. Go back inside." 😂

But discomfort isn't necessarily danger.

Sometimes discomfort is simply adaptation happening.

And I think we have become extraordinarily good at avoiding the little bits of discomfort that used to be a normal part of being human.

Which brings me back to my original point:

GO OUTSIDE.

Not because you need another wellness hack.

Not because you need to optimize your cortisol.

Not because an infographic told you that nature increases creativity by some magical percentage.

Go outside because you are a human being and this is where your body came from.

And here's the funny thing:

Science keeps proving what our ancestors never needed a study to tell them.

Research shows, time and again, that spending time in nature can reduce physiological markers of stress and support the body's relaxation response. In one study, the greatest rate of cortisol reduction occurred during roughly 20–30 minutes of time spent in a natural setting.

Other research has found that people who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature were more likely to report good health and a greater sense of well-being than those who spent no time in nature.

And studies of forest environments have found changes consistent with greater parasympathetic activity—the part of our nervous system associated with rest, recovery and restoration.

So yes, we can talk about the parasympathetic nervous system.

We can talk about cortisol.

We can talk about immune function, attention restoration, creativity and inflammation.

And I love all of that.

But I don't think those things are the whole story.

Because sometimes I think we are so obsessed with understanding why something works that we forget to simply do the thing. Go outside.

Come Back to You

During the Retreat to You, we spent some time reflecting on the things we can do—the tools we can implement—to help us keep coming back to you.

Back to ourselves.

Back to what feels true. Back to that place where we feel grounded, connected and whole.

And one of the most common answers that came up was:

Nature. “When I spend time in nature.”

Again and again, women talked about how different they feel when they make spending time outside a priority.

More themselves.

More aligned.

More peaceful.

More whole.

And I loved hearing that because I have always felt it too.

I have watched it happen in my children.

I have watched it happen in myself.

And I've watched it happen in people who come to retreats exhausted and overwhelmed, and then spend a few days walking through the woods, sitting by the fire, looking at the stars and breathing fresh air.

Something changes.

We soften. We exhale. We remember.

Maybe that's the nervous system.

Maybe it's the sunlight.

Maybe it's the movement.

Maybe it's the temperature change.

Maybe it's the sounds and smells and colors that our brains evolved to notice.

Or maybe it's because our problems suddenly seem a little smaller when we're standing underneath a giant sky.

Whatever the reason, something happens when we step outside.

And maybe nature isn't actually fixing us.

Maybe it is simply giving us the environment in which our bodies and minds were designed to function.

Maybe when we spend too much time disconnected from that environment, that's when things start to feel wrong.

And maybe that's why it feels so good for the spirit.

I think there is something profound about being surrounded by something bigger than yourself.

The trees don't care about your overflowing inbox.

The river doesn't care that you forgot to return the email.

The mountain isn't worried about whether you're doing enough.

The birds aren't comparing themselves to anyone.

And the seasons aren't rushing.

Nature simply is.

And when we spend enough time in that space, our own problems can begin to return to their proper size.

Not disappear. Not become unimportant.

Just become perspective.

The thing that felt completely overwhelming an hour ago suddenly feels manageable.

The argument doesn't seem quite as catastrophic.

The decision becomes a little clearer.

The sadness has a little more room around it.

We remember that there is a world beyond whatever is currently taking up all the space in our minds.

And maybe that is part of what it means to come back to ourselves.

So when life gets heavy...

When you're overwhelmed. When you're anxious. When you've been staring at a screen for six hours.

When work feels like too much. When you feel disconnected from yourself.

When your teenagers have beaten your soul down to the point where you're wondering WHAT IS THIS ALL FOR?!

😂

Go outside.

Seriously.

You don't have to solve your whole life.

You don't have to figure everything out.

You don't need the perfect meditation, the perfect morning routine or the perfect five-step wellness plan.

Put on your shoes.

Open the door.

Walk.

Breathe.

Look around.

Feel the temperature on your skin.

Listen to the wind.

Notice the trees.

Let the world remind you that there is something bigger than whatever is currently consuming you.

Because maybe we don't need to know exactly why nature makes us feel better.

Maybe it's the nervous system. Maybe it's the cortisol. Maybe it's the sunlight, the movement, the fresh air or the sensory input. Maybe it's something our ancestors understood long before we had the scientific language to explain it.

Or maybe... we just remember who we are when we are surrounded by what we came from.

Whatever the reason, I know this:

It works!

So the next time life feels like too much, don't underestimate the medicine that is waiting right outside your door.

Go find a little nature.

And come back to you. 🌿