Celebrate Earth Day: Manage Stress by Embracing Nature

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, it’s a great opportunity for you to indluge yourself a little bit and find a way to get out in nature as a way to relax and manage the stress in your life. If your life is harried and stressful and your first response is, “But I don’t have time!” you really need to take a break.

You might wonder what good it will do you to get out and embrace nature, so I’m going to tell you. Being outdoors in the fresh air where you can jest relax and let down can be very calming. Even if the closest you can get to nature is the corner of a city park, or the potted plants in the atrium of your building, that will do.

If you can’t escape to the woods, take a moment to appreciate our beautiful earth. Watch a nature video and meditate on the beauty and complexity of life on this planet. Take slow, deep cleansing breaths and focus on a particular plant. Then bring your focus to a single leaf or flower. Peer into the leaf or the petals of the flower. Witness the delicate beauty and be grateful for this moment.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to get out in the woods, or even for a walk in the park, take you shoes off and let your feet and your toes come in direct contact with the earth. If the sun is out, feel it shining on your face as you wriggle your toes in the grass or the soil. Feel a deep connection between yourself that goes deep, down into the center of the earth. Let your love and gratitude travel deep down into the earth and feel that gentle tugging sensation from the magnetic field at the center of the earth. You are grounded with the earth and you can feel a solid connection. You are standing in between earth and sky.

Sit and meditate or just do some slow, mindful breathing. Listen to the birds singing. Maybe you can hear a dog barking or children laughing. Embrace everything about this moment. Bask in the glow of this feeling of bliss and contentment. Wrap that energy up and carry it with you for the rest of the day. If something comes up that is threatening to steal your joy, let your mind travel back to those moment of bliss. Breathe deep and remember the smell of the earth, and the feel of the cool, damp grass on your bare toes and let the angst simply melt away.

You are welcome to sign up for our email list where you will get more tips, resources and information about living a peaceful, more stress-free life. http://www.stressfreemindblog.com/News