The Benefits of Being Mindful Outdoors
When you think of mindfulness, do you think, “That doesn’t work for me”? This perception is more common than you’d think. It’s totally relatable to think that mindfulness won’t work for you because you can’t sit cross-legged, tuning out the world, in a complete internal silence. Here’s the good news: to practice mindfulness, you don’t have to do that at all! If you are someone who also cannot imagine tuning out the world and your daily stressors, try to TUNE IN instead. To truly practice mindfulness is to take notice of the body, thoughts, and emotions in the present moment and without judgment. And one of the best ways to begin a successful mindfulness practice is to practice outdoors. We’ll explain how you can get started…
Being outdoors not only separates you from your day to day stressors, it also captures your attention in a vastly different way than being in your bedroom, rec room, or office. Think about the way a campfire or a body of water locks our gaze. We may be surrounded by other people, but nature still has the unique power to grasp our attention. Nature takes away a great deal of the effort that mindfulness requires, making it easier to tune in.
This is the perfect time of year to set aside some time to be outside and notice what is going on around you. If you are sitting outside right now, can you take a moment to close your eyes and identify all of the sounds you hear? Listen for the leaves rustling in the wind, a bird chirping, a car driving by, a dog barking, or a stick breaking. You just took notice of five things that are happening in the here and now! This is being mindful.
If you’re up for going outside and giving this a try, take a look at the following suggestions. Before you try, understand that it won’t be perfect and that’s okay! Mindfulness doesn’t come to anyone overnight. Just attempting mindfulness is a step in the right direction. Be aware that:
Your mind WILL drift off. Building a mindfulness practice means building the skill to notice where you drifted off to and bring yourself back to the here and now.
Start slowly. Maybe 1 or 2 minutes and even with the help of a guided meditation that you can find through a quick internet search or through an app on your phone.
Here are some suggestions for practicing mindfulness outdoors:
Walking:
When walking, try to tune into your body. Notice the way your feet feel on the ground. There’s a difference between the way you walk on hard pavement compared to soft grass, for example. Does your shoe allow you to feel more or less of the ground beneath you? Or maybe you are barefoot and can feel the texture of the grass, concrete, or sand beneath your body. Notice if your legs and arms are brushing against one another with the movement of your walk. Notice your breathing. Is it calm and relaxed, or is it shorter and faster with your body moving differently? Maybe take a deep breath to shift your attention deeper onto your breathing. Can you feel the wind or sun on your face, or your arms? There are so many things to take notice of while walking. Again, any time your mind shifts onto future worries—notice that! Then, use one of these points like a deep breath to bring your mind back to the present moment.
Sitting outside:
Take a few minutes to sit in your yard, in a park, or some other outdoor space with seating, and tune into your surroundings. Leave your phone and headphones home this time and try something new! What sounds do you hear? Perhaps you hear birds, children playing, cars in the gravel parking lot, or maybe a fountain running in the park. What do you see? Maybe you notice faded green grass, friends walking together, kids playing, dogs chasing after a ball, a walking path, or a brightly colored playground. Try to notice these things without any judgment. Simply observe these things for what they are.
Near a body of water:
If you’re at the beach or sitting by a lake, try to focus on your body sensations and sounds. Can you feel the sand in your toes, the salt on your skin, the heat of the sun, and the softness of that broken-in beach towel beneath you? Can you hear the sound of the ocean waves coming and going, crashing and releasing? A useful coping skill to try is picturing your thoughts and emotions coming and going like the waves.
If you are near a river, lake, or stream, dip your hands or feet in the water and feel the sensation of the cool water on your warm skin. Notice the sounds of the water flowing and maybe crashing against rocks or sand. Allow the sight of the water to capture your attention and then picture your negative thoughts and feelings gently flowing along that body of water. Watch them flow downstream and allow your mind to let them go.
If you struggle to take your mind off of your daily stressors like work, school, finances, children, you’re not alone. Practicing mindfulness outdoors can help you separate yourself from the setting that reminds you of all of these responsibilities. Anything that you can do outside has the potential to be a mindful experience. Think about how you can engage in that task or activity while tuning into the body (5 senses), the thoughts, and the emotions that you’re experiencing in the present moment. By building this type of awareness, you can better identify your thoughts and feelings as they happen in the moment. You can also better bring yourself back to the here and now when your daily stressors inevitably carry your thoughts away. Now, let’s go outside and give this a try!