Spring has arrived in earnest, just in time to provide glorious decorations for our Earth Day celebration. Yesterday I hiked in a nearby nature preserve and took these photos of nature’s Earth Day display. I enjoyed seeing the skunk cabbage with its leaves unfurled, a satisfying progress report after seeing the odd plant in its earliest spring phase on my hike with Margie a few weekends ago.
This was my second hike this week, and it’s been a long time since I have carved out big chunks of time to get outside and exercise and enjoy nature. I know how good it makes me feel mentally and physically to hike, bike, and garden. Somewhere in my photo box there is a picture of me digging a hole to plant a tree, and I have a look of pure joy on my face. So why don’t I make time every day to do the activities that I enjoy the most? Winter, illness, work, and child-rearing have been my excuses for not getting outside and glorying in the fresh air and getting some much-needed exercise.
Just recently I chanced upon the concept of “lifestyle redesign,” which has got me thinking about how I spend my days. “Lifestyle redesign” was coined by University of Southern California occupational therapy professor Florence Clark. She defines it as “a therapeutic approach to redesigning one’s days in such a way that one can be happy, maximally productive, and experience emotional well-being.” It involves a balance between work and play and emphasizes healthy eating, exercise, and leisure pursuits ON A DAILY BASIS.
There’s nothing revolutionary about the lifestyle redesign concept. We all know that we should embrace healthier lifestyles. But I think it involves a huge perceptual shift to look at each activity we do every day and ask, Is this how I should be spending my time? Is this activity, on balance, aiding my physical and emotional health? For example, I’ve just spent the last two hours sitting in front of the computer. What if instead I had chosen to chat with my husband, who I haven’t seen all day? Our relationship would be the stronger for it, and that would increase both of our levels of happiness.
I really have no answers at the moment for how I would achieve a lifestyle redesign. But I know that making the time to be outside is a key component of the overhaul.
It soothes my nerves. It allows me to have breathing room. It gives me perspective. I take in not only the big expanse of sky but also the lovely little details that are often overlooked. My brain seems to work better, and I go home and back to my responsibilities with a renewed sense of excitement and purpose. And the “ecotherapy” is cheaper than any prescription antidepressant or talk therapy.
This was my second hike this week, and it’s been a long time since I have carved out big chunks of time to get outside and exercise and enjoy nature. I know how good it makes me feel mentally and physically to hike, bike, and garden. Somewhere in my photo box there is a picture of me digging a hole to plant a tree, and I have a look of pure joy on my face. So why don’t I make time every day to do the activities that I enjoy the most? Winter, illness, work, and child-rearing have been my excuses for not getting outside and glorying in the fresh air and getting some much-needed exercise.
Just recently I chanced upon the concept of “lifestyle redesign,” which has got me thinking about how I spend my days. “Lifestyle redesign” was coined by University of Southern California occupational therapy professor Florence Clark. She defines it as “a therapeutic approach to redesigning one’s days in such a way that one can be happy, maximally productive, and experience emotional well-being.” It involves a balance between work and play and emphasizes healthy eating, exercise, and leisure pursuits ON A DAILY BASIS.
There’s nothing revolutionary about the lifestyle redesign concept. We all know that we should embrace healthier lifestyles. But I think it involves a huge perceptual shift to look at each activity we do every day and ask, Is this how I should be spending my time? Is this activity, on balance, aiding my physical and emotional health? For example, I’ve just spent the last two hours sitting in front of the computer. What if instead I had chosen to chat with my husband, who I haven’t seen all day? Our relationship would be the stronger for it, and that would increase both of our levels of happiness.
I really have no answers at the moment for how I would achieve a lifestyle redesign. But I know that making the time to be outside is a key component of the overhaul.
It soothes my nerves. It allows me to have breathing room. It gives me perspective. I take in not only the big expanse of sky but also the lovely little details that are often overlooked. My brain seems to work better, and I go home and back to my responsibilities with a renewed sense of excitement and purpose. And the “ecotherapy” is cheaper than any prescription antidepressant or talk therapy.
I hope you have a chance to search out some green space to enjoy a little ecotherapy of your own on Earth Day and beyond.
9 comments:
good luck with getting the balance right. I think I should read about this concept as I am afraid I often don't get it right, too often I ignore the should do's in favour of creating then I find myself with too much to do that MUST be done!!! Balance a good idea!
Oh by the way your little stones are lovely.
I'm always amazed at how rejuvenating time in nature can be. I wonder how people who live in cities manage to feel sane with all those concrete, glass and man made structures surrounding them. I just read an article in National Geographic about green rooftops, and the pictures were compelling with that bit of green amongst the tall buildings.
As to the balance, well I've mostly been neglecting my domestic duties. I think I need to read a little Wendell Berry to help me do a "lifestyle redesign". And the comment you made about spending time with your husband - yea that struck a chord for sure!
These photos are incredible: the colors, the perspective, the lyricism of the objects themselves. I love the idea of lifestyle redesign--I think like everything else we undertake, we have to try it anew each day.
"lifestyle redesign" and "ecotherapy"... I love the sound of that. Your photos get lovelier each day!
Beautiful photos to mark Earth Day.
Lovely nature photographs! I think a lot of us could use a lifestyle redesign, I've been working on one over the last year and my life has improved so much!
I love the organic shapes these things have taken on. jan
pretty pictures!!! You have stopped by my blog a few times, and I thought I would come over and check in, but also to let you know that I am doing a giveaway. Yippee!! I hope you will stop on by for more info.
Celita
http://daysease.blogspot.com/2009/04/it-has-been-year.html
I agree with everyone who has commented so far. I am so into ecotherapy that I tell my secretary every week that I should just stop writing prescriptions and take my patients out for hikes in the forest and then back to the office to talk about what we saw or have some sort of creative fall out activity. The only stumbling block is how to bill our universal health insurance program for this. You photographs are amazing. That first one had me staring at it for minutes in utter astonishment.
Post a Comment