If you’ve read ‘The Natural Advantage’, you’ll remember the recommendation to take yourself off-grid for a minimum of three days a couple of times a year.
Having just returned from a two-week sojourn with no laptop and only a mobile phone to take pictures, it’s reminded me of many reasons this is so good for our body, mind and soul.
I’m now refreshed, recharged and ready to do my best work.
But how often do we deny, defer or ditch our intention to take time off despite feeling exhausted, burned out or stuck in a rut?
If you’ve been justifying your decision, because ‘it’s not the right time’ or ‘I’ll be leaving others in the lurch’ or worse still ‘I can’t face all the extra work I’ll have waiting for my return’ it’s time to challenge that thought and instead ask yourself,
‘How will I feel after two weeks off?’
If the answer is better/less stressed/more relaxed, what are you waiting for?
And if you’re still not totally convinced, there’s a ton of research showing the health benefits gained from taking your leave when it’s due, not least that it helps to counterbalance our tendency to be addicted to our work.
As a recovering workaholic, I recognise only too well all the excuses we give. We fool no one, except ourselves.
We know the rates of burnout, mental health struggles and illness secondary to chronic stress are continuing to rise, but there is much we can do to help ourselves overcome the hustle and restore health, starting with taking time out for the following reasons.
1. It alleviates all that pent-up stress you’ve been accumulating over time.
The research is clear, spending time with nature reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and your blood pressure, helping you to feel calm and content.
The serenity of sitting quietly in a beautiful spot with no need or pressure to be elsewhere or doing other things feels great. This is the taste of freedom. It can take time to adjust to a slower pace, but that’s normal.
2. It stimulates the release of your creative juices.
Spending time outdoors clears your mind and helps you to truly appreciate your surroundings. You notice more, you hear more, this opens the window to possibility thinking and greater insight.
One study showed how 4 days trekking in the wilderness was the perfect amount of time to enhance creativity. Little wonder artists, philosophers, architects attribute their creative spark to time spent outdoors.
This might seem obvious, so why do we deny ourselves the opportunity to spark new ideas?
3. It improves mental well-being.
If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety or depression, getting away from it all can be the best medicine to restore your mental well-being. This is because it elevates your mood, reduces negative emotions including anger or despair, and helps you keep things in perspective.
One hundred and twenty minutes a week is the minimum required to maintain your mental well-being. That’s just a little over 17 minutes a day.
More is better. Having several weeks away from all your distractions, doom-scrolling and too many hours spent in front of a screen, restores focus, reminds you what really matters and improves your cognitive function. Now you can think more clearly, make better decisions and not get caught up on the maelstrom of overwhelm.
After two weeks, I no longer crave checking my social media feed or email.
How long does it take you to overcome your nomophobia?
4. It improves sleep and physical fitness.
Whether you’re camping, trekking or cycling, more time outside helps reset your circadian rhythm. You sleep better and for longer, and interestingly, you find you’re more energised to be up and about engaged in physical activities rather than shackled to a desk.
Much of the fatigue so many of us experience is readily remedied by moving away from the desk and moving more. The problem with sitting disease is, it reduces our well-being, our muscle strength and mental energy.
There’s nothing more tiring than sitting on your butt all day!
Time outside is good for our physical health, strengthens our immune system and provides opportunities to learn new skills, or see different flora and fauna. The greater the biodiversity we are exposed to, the greater the benefit to our overall health.
5. It makes us happy.
Being outside is my happy place. I try to ensure every day is a day spent with nature.
When I can’t get out, I look for ways to invite nature in. Our house is filled with living plants and images of nature. Our two exuberant hounds provide us much pleasure and demand their twice daily constitutionals come rain or shine.
Spending time in beautiful natural locations with my husband is good for our relationship. We share the awe and wonder of our experiences and create many memories.
Being off-grid for several weeks nudges my happiness set-point up by several notches. I smile more, I interact more positively with others and return home feeling great.
What benefits have you experienced from going off-grid for a while?
