Need Inspiration? Get Outdoors by @relaxedmale

by Bryan Goodwin | Featured Contributor 

Well look at that, midweek and your get up and go and has gotten up and left. You are not feeling the drive. That blank Word Document hasn’t sparked any joy and you are ready to scream. You are needing some serious help. How do I know? Well, you are reading this post right now.

We all drift into the inspirational doldrums from time to time. It happens. How you get out of the dry spell is dependant on you. Some people free write while others bounce a racket ball against a wall for hours.

What if you could kill two birds with one stone? What if you could find inspiration and destress your life a little bit and all at the same time? It is possible. Now unless you cheated and looked at the title of this post, this solution will come as a surprise. The solution is to get outdoors. Yeah, that bright space between your front door and your mailbox. You know the one. It has that cacophony of birds chirping and dogs barking.

What? You can’t do that! It because of those deadlines that are approaching? The deadline for the project that you are stuck on? The one you aren’t working on because you don’t have any inspiration on what to do?

You have time. The benefits that will be poured upon your head by getting outside, will surprise you. So let us look at some of these glorious benefits I’m talking about.

Fresh Air

Nothing better than fresh air in your lungs to help clear out the cobwebs. Your brain needs the oxygen, nitrogen and other elements floating around in the air to function properly. Combine that with a well-balanced meal. Especially when you have all the proper animal-based fats and proteins. Alongside eating those needed plant-based nutrients. You have a high octane mix that is perfect for rattling loose brilliant ideas and opportunities.

What you live in the city? There’s pollution in the air? There is more pollution indoors than there is outdoors. Everything is hermetically sealed these days. With no air flow, you have more chemical elements and other nasties indoors than outside. That air is dirtier than the outdoors. That is unless you are living in Zabol, Iran which has the air quality of Boise City, OK during the dust bowl.

Also, the quality of our air has been improving generation by generation. The difference between 1970 and today is astronomical. You are breathing cleaner air than most people like to believe so don’t fear the outdoors. The air is clean. The air is fresh from the trees and other plants.

So step outdoors and take a deep breath. If you cough, don’t worry, you are forcing that bad indoor air from your lungs. So breathe deep and get to thinking.

Exercise

While you are outdoors taking deep healthy breaths. You have a choice. You can stand in the front door and inhale deeply enjoying the light headed feeling you get. Yet you can also add two benefits together and get to walking. Walking isn’t only good for your body but it also has other mental benefits. Specifically when you are needing some inspiration.

Remember when I said fresh air has oxygen for your brain. Well, there is a way to get that oxygen to your brain faster. That is by getting your heart rate up. Which causes your blood to flow faster. This, in turn, delivers more oxygen to your brain. More oxygen your brain gets the more efficient it can think.

So get out breath deep and start hoofing it around. A small tip for you as you go walking. You may try going without your phone or other electronic devices. Walk without music or podcasts. Let your brain just chew on the dead air. I call this free thinking. Much like free writing you just let your brain work on the task at hand. Your brain will piece weird ends together. This will jumpstart a wacky idea. Which may lead to a good idea that then morphs into an incredible idea. Let your thoughts work themselves out.

Change of Scenery

Another benefit to getting outdoors is that you change your scenery. Your mind can and often gets bored when it is faced with the same thing day in and day out. Even though we are creatures of habit. We get up and commute to our desk in the living room and proceed to most of the time wow people with our inspiring prose. There are times that your brain says I got nothing and will keep that up till it gets new stimuli. Best way to do that is go walking. Walk around the block you may get an idea as you see a random squirrel play hide and seek from a dog.

You may see an example of a point you are trying to make play itself out at an intersection. As you walk don’t keep your head down. Bring it up. Look around take in the city or the countryside as you are plodding down the road, breathing deep.

You get some sunshine

Whether it is cloudy or a bright sunny day. The last benefit I would like to point out is that you get some sunshine. The sun though it received some bad rap recently. People are starting to come around and realized that you as a person need to have the sun shine on you. Your body needs to have sun rays strike your skin and actually have a slight tan.

The largest amount of Vitamin D is produced by your body. Your body produces vitamin D by absorbing ultraviolet light. Vitamin D complex does a multitude of good for your body and is an essential vitamin. That is why they put it in Milk. Vitamin D help your bone stay strong and healthy. Vitamin D is also needed for mental health. Your brain needs that vitamin. The key is moderation. Don’t spend 12 continuous hours in the sun, but several hours a week can make a huge change in your mental health.

The bright healthy sun also improves your attitude. You don’t need to look any further than in the winter time. When people get the winter blues or Seasonal Affected Disorder. Many believe this happens because you are not getting enough of a specific spectrum of light. This light is found in sunshine. Either way, way you work better when you are in a good and positive mood. The best way to get that happy mood is to get out in the sun see the scenery and breathe deep as you walk.

There you go slap your tennis shoes on. Get up and take a brisk walk around the block a few times. Set aside an hour to just stroll around. Look at what is around you. You can and will find surprise inspirations all over the place. Also as Mr. Miagi said Breath deep, Breathing very important.

Bryan Goodwin

I am men’s life coach and blogger. I help people see their limiting beliefs and lead out of their patterns of self-sabotage, by getting them outdoors into nature. Doing so allows these folks to reconnect with the fearless child who thought they could do anything. They could be a mermaid or a banker. I want to show people that the American “can do” attitude isn’t dead but strong powerful and very much alive.

If you had a dream when you were a kid that dream is still waiting for the go-ahead even today. Make the goals that will help you reach your innermost dream. Those aspirations never died but are dying to get out. It isn’t too late. You can be what you want.

You can find my blog The Relaxed Male-outdoors leadership