In the bustling matrix of modern life, we often forget a fundamental truth: our bodies and minds are crafted by nature, for nature. Reconnecting with the outdoors can revolutionize our neurochemistry, enhancing our health, power, and vitality.
This is the second of a series on our month's theme of The Athletics of Action.
I'm going to propose that even though you already know movement is important, and sitting is the new smoking, you might not necessarily realize movement is literally essential to your power and sovereignty in life -- and not just any movement. The concept of 'movement' in our lives often translates to either a strenuous workout at the gym, or just as often a tradeoff with overwork, late nights and intense duties. Yet, there is another category: natural movement within nature itself.
This innate interaction with the environment is not only a human need but a source of profound neurochemical enrichment. As we delve into the interplay between nature, neurochemistry, and our right to movement, we rediscover the tools to seize control of the mental and physical well-being that supports sovereignty and personal power.
Reclaim your inherent connection to the natural world -- get outdoors with wisdom and awareness, and learn to unlock the neurochemical benefits of movement.
Humans Evolved In Relationship With Nature - That Means You Too!
Humans have evolved in a deeply interconnected relationship with nature, where the sensory stimuli from the natural environment played a crucial role in shaping our neurological and sensory processing systems. Nature serves as a catalyst for neurochemical processes that enhance our mood and cognitive functions. It's more than just the idea that "exercise is healthy" -- its the fact of reengaging with environments that let us reconnect with our innate wildness.
Research illustrates that environments abundant in natural elements can significantly increase endorphins and serotonin — chemicals responsible for our feelings of happiness and well-being. The simple act of walking through a forest, or even spending time in a city park, can initiate these beneficial changes.
It's not merely the sight of nature that feeds our brains; it's also our physical engagement with it. The sensory experiences provided by natural light, the sounds of wildlife, and the feel of the earth underfoot stimulate our sensory cortex, fostering a healthier, more vibrant neurology. This multisensory engagement is essential, as it enhances neural pathways that are often dulled by the monotony of indoor, artificial environments.
This evolutionary context provides the backdrop for understanding why natural movement and its inherent randomness are soothing and restorative, while static, man-made environments can unknowingly act as stressors.
The Right to Movement: Satisfying the Evolutionary Adaptation to Natural Environments
Understanding these evolutionary and neurological perspectives helps explain why incorporating elements of nature into our daily lives is more than just an aesthetic choice—it's a return to an environment for which our sensory systems were originally designed. This alignment not only soothes and restores but also reconnects us to a broader ecological and existential context, offering profound health and well-being benefits.
Combine that with the Right to Movement -- the essential restoration of eustress in life that we explored in the previous post -- and you see why it's important to get moving and get outdoors!
Here are some elements of ancestral power to muse on as you walk (or run) out in nature on why it can feel so good:
Continuous Sensory Input: Our ancestors were exposed to a constant flow of natural sensory inputs—changing light conditions, the ongoing, seamless, varying sounds of wildlife, natural forms such as tree growth or hilly terrain, and diverse visual landscapes. This continuous stimulation is believed to have optimized the human sensory system for adaptability and alertness, crucial traits for survival in dynamic environments.
Randomness and Variability: Unlike the repetitive and predictable nature of many modern settings, natural environments are characterized by their unpredictability and complexity. The random movements of leaves or sunlight through leaves, the unpredictable sounds of animals, and the irregular patterns of natural landscapes provide a rich tapestry of stimuli that engage the brain in a way that promotes cognitive flexibility and reduces sensory fatigue.
Neurochemical Responses: Exposure to nature and its diverse stimuli is linked to the production of neurochemicals that promote relaxation and well-being. For example, the presence of phytoncides, natural oils within forest trees, has been shown to increase levels of natural killer cells in humans, boosting the immune system and reducing stress hormones (so go ahead and Immerse Yourself In a Forest For Better Health).
Development of Spatial and Sensory Awareness: Navigating through natural environments requires a sophisticated sense of spatial awareness and sensory attention. This constant exercise of the senses and cognitive mapping skills in nature enhances neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning or experience.
In Contrast: Stress Responses to Static, Human-Made Environments
Just so you can feel out the contrast, here's why indoor environments can create their own mental stress just by how they're designed (I'm looking at you, traditional sterile office environment with no windows and freezing HVAC!):
Reduced Sensory Engagement: Indoor and urban environments often lack the sensory diversity of natural settings. This can lead to a sensory deprivation of sorts, where the lack of stimulation leads to increased stress and difficulty in maintaining attention and focus.
Overstimulation of a Different Kind: While natural environments stimulate through diversity and unpredictability, many urban environments overstimulate through noise, crowding, and the omnipresence of artificial lights and digital screens. This type of stimulation can lead to sensory overload and stress, rather than the relaxation and enhancement seen with natural stimuli.
Loss of Connection with Natural Rhythms: Modern life often disconnects people from the natural cycles of light and dark, seasonal changes, and other rhythmic patterns that have historically governed human life. This disconnection can disrupt circadian rhythms, affect sleep patterns, and increase stress.
A Special Note for High Performers
In the relentless pursuit of success, many of us have become tethered to a work culture that demands extended periods of sedentary behavior—sitting for hours, often extending into evenings and weekends. I spent most of my corporate career in that predicament, and I'm sure you have experienced it too. This lifestyle not only strains our physical health but also imprisons our mental well-being within the confines of ceaseless productivity.
Therefore, it's crucial to recognize that breaking free from this cycle is a choice—a deliberate decision to reclaim your time and vitality. Choosing to step away from the computer, to disconnect from the incessant demands of work life, is not an act of rebellion but an essential act of self-care. It’s about prioritizing your health and acknowledging that true productivity isn't measured by hours spent at work, but by how energized and balanced you feel.
Embracing this shift can be transformative, allowing you to rediscover the joys of movement and engagement with the world beyond the screen, nurturing both body and mind in the rhythm of a more natural, fulfilling existence.
Metaphors for Exploring Nature & Neurochemistry In Life & Work
Metaphors are a fun and powerful way to play with these ideas and surface unexpected insights. They allow you to interact with your inmost thoughts in an insightful, yet indirect way. Here are a number of metaphors you can play with as you explore this important life area. Get out your favorite journaling method, and work with the following questions. Let any answers come up.
"If your mind was a river system, how would nature's touch rejuvenate its flow?"
Visualize your neurochemistry as a vast, intricate network of rivers flowing within you. How does each clear stream carry vital nutrients and messages that influence your mood, energy, and health? When you step into nature, how can it feel like the season’s rains replenishing these rivers at their source? Your movements through different landscapes—whether climbing a hill or tracing the shores of a lake—act like the earth’s breath, which stirs these waters, ensuring they flow robust and clear. This natural dance of elements, guided by your interactions with the outdoors, orchestrates a symphony of biochemical reactions that enhance your vitality and mental clarity.
"If a walk outdoors were a walk alongside your ancestors, what would they tell you of their lives and yours?"
If every walk outdoors were a walk alongside your ancestors, what would they tell you of the sacred rhythms of nature? Would they affirm how the rustle of leaves is a language of resilience, the paths trodden smooth by time a testament to enduring strength? Would they urge you to listen to the earth’s wisdom, to slow down and feel the interconnectedness of all life? What would they tell you of their lives, and yours? As you step in their ancient footprints, let each breath of fresh air remind you that you carry their enduring spirit, and with every step forward, you're weaving your own legacy into the tapestry of history.
Future-Focused Questions for Exploring Nature & Neurochemistry at Work
You can also use these future-focused questions to realize where you might be "sleepwalking", i.e. allowing your good-enough-but-not-great life to coast on and on, even when your Inner Self knows you want and need to take action.
"If You Craft A Nature Practice Now, How Will Your Life Improve By Next Week?"
Yes, I deliberately set that time frame as a week! If you continue to ignore the call of the wild, maintaining a routine devoid of nature's touch, where might you find yourself next week, or even next month? And yet, if you walk even a few days more in nature than you're doing now -- how would even that refreshment begin to rejuvenate you?
"If You Set A Nature-Neurochemistry Goal, Just How Much Rejuvenation Could You Create?"
Imagine the rejuvenation of your neurochemistry and the boundless energy enriching your work-life vitality. What changes might unfold in your personal and professional well-being when you make the conscious decision to embrace the outdoors more frequently? Play with this idea and let it break you out of current routines.
Understand that nourishing your native energies, and pouring them into the opportunities that grow you, isn't just a fleeting choice, but a pivotal decision that defines the richness and fulfillment of your life's narrative.
Key Learning Points
Nature Is Necessary: Engaging with nature is not just beneficial but essential for our neurochemical health.
Neurochemistry Loves Nature: Natural settings provide sensory stimuli that strengthen our brain function and emotional resilience.
Now Is The Time!: The expansion of the season into magnificent spring presents natural opportunities to reengage with the outdoors and enhance our overall vitality.
Action Steps
Start at whatever scale works for you: Whether that's small or large, just start! Commit to spending at least 30 minutes outside every day, whether it’s a walk in your local park or simply enjoying looking out at the world from under a tree.
Engage all your senses: Rather than just seeing, listen to the sounds, touch the textures, and breathe deeply the scents of nature. This is especially powerful now, when the flowers and flowering trees are all blooming in abundance.
Use technology to your advantage: Hopefully it doesn't sound counterintuitive, but tracking your outdoor activities can help you get outdoors more than you are now, and help you perceive the cumulative effect of your interactions with nature
Nature’s call to move and explore isn’t just an echo from our ancestors. It's a resounding bell for health and vitality in the now. As we step into the athletics of action this spring, let's reconnect with the natural world and discover the profound impact it has on our neurochemistry and our right to movement.
April, with its rising energy and longer days, offers a perfect tableau to renew your commitment to outdoor activities. It's a time to harness the kinetic energy of growth and rebirth seen all around you and to mirror this in your personal health and actions. This seasonal shift is not just poetic but practical, serving as a neurochemical reset that begins infusing each day with the energy to enjoy new challenges and opportunities.
How will you nourish your brain with movement and nature's restoration as you #reclaimyourwildness and #healworklife?
See you in the next post.
Be well,
Katherine
