Seeking Wellness

By Ann McCarty

Over the past few months the world has changed.  First, we panicked. Then we responded. Many of us bought too much toilet paper, cleaning products and junk food.  We consumed.  Then we talked, we projected what we thought the future might be. We compared information.  We noticed how so many things that used to be routine and easy simply ceased or just didn’t feel the same. Things like, going to the grocery store, and the gym.  These activities used to be something we just didn’t give too much thought too. Then we got quiet.

Many of us thought about wellness, nutrition and exercise.  We looked into trying something new like biking, yoga or learning how to bake bread. Even though the weather was still cold and the trees were still bare our natural reaction to consume started to shift.  Many of us took walks, bike rides and runs in our neighborhoods and on trails.  We looked at the same sidewalks, trees, and buildings that we always had, and we began to look at them in a new way.  We began to absorb something different in those familiar spaces.

What was different?  We were different.  We noticed that nature stayed the same. Even though the world and how we moved in the world felt different, nature felt the same.  With plans changed, trips and events canceled and simply no place to go we turned to the outside and all of its familiarity. The sounds of the birds and the changing beauty of the season really felt comforting and helped us to feel a sense of wellness.  We literally took comfort in the outdoors.  

I believe that wellness starts with your surroundings.  Not all of  us have the best things surrounding us right now.  But nature and all it has to offer exists everywhere and it’s free. 

Head outdoors and take in your surroundings; the fresh air, the clouds,  sky,  trees or river.  Notice what nature is around you. Noticing and allowing yourself the time to absorb this space in a different way  just might be your first step onto your path to wellness.