Kerrin and I just finished up a trip to Flagstaff for a weekend away (drove up Friday and came back Sunday). Flagstaff is about 2-2.5 hours drive from where we live in Phoenix, but any trip (big or small) is always fun for us.

Flagstaff was a great trip in particular because it has been unusually hot in Phoenix (even by Phoenix standards). It’s still over 100 degrees outside in early October. This trip was a welcome opportunity to get away and do one of my favorite things: Being Outdoors!

I have written before about why I value training outdoors (HERE) and going for meaningful walks (HERE). Those articles discussed being outdoors in more of a physical/training sense (although there are crossover benefits, such as being present, putting down your phone, and challenging negative thoughts that may arise). I want this article to address being outdoors from more of a “peace of mind” approach.

Getting Away From Work

Like many people, I can sometimes struggle with having a healthy “work/life” balance. I still bring my phone and laptop when I travel (although I do try to use both at a minimum – especially when referring to work-related activities). Being in professional baseball for almost a decade has engrained in me a sense of “always being available”. My new job allows me more flexibility, and provides a better sense of boundaries on availability. The difference is honestly astonishing. This is one of the reasons I enjoy being outdoors (especially when we travel somewhere specifically to spend time outdoors). When I am hiking, swimming, or just hanging out in nature, I am not focusing on work. This helps me to go to work on Monday with a fresh mindset and an eagerness to attack the week. This is something I’d recommend for others as well – force yourself to leave work alone for a day or two by being outdoors and enjoying your time.

Appreciate the Beauty Around You

I’ve always joked with Kerrin that any place can look good if you have a great camera or filter (I’ve seen pictures and videos that make our hometown look amazing). Try to take the approach of your eyes being “the world’s best camera” when you are outside. Soak in all the details of the beauty around you. Being present is an incredible skill to develop, and taking this approach can certainly help you with that. Going somewhere that is known for its beauty can help you to develop this (our most recent trips have been to beautiful places like Banff and Flagstaff), but over time you can learn to appreciate the beauty around you no matter what your setting is. Our trip to Flagstaff was purposely chosen to put some different colors into our lives.

Slow Down and (Dis)connect

This goes hand-in-hand with the previous points. Disconnect from your phone, laptop, work, etc. and spend time with yourself or a loved one. Sometimes Kerrin and I will find a spot in nature and just hang out in each other’s presence. This weekend she brought her camera and we took goofy pictures together. Sometimes life can speed up on you (especially during the work week). It is imperative that we slow down and take time to check-in with ourselves and our loved ones. This is something I struggled with in my years in professional baseball – the job was demanding and I kept pace with it. But every time I put more energy into the job, I drifted further away from taking care of my relationships with myself and with my loved ones. Being outdoors allows me the opportunity to appreciate everything around me: the beauty of nature and the beauty of my relationships.

In Conclusion

You should have a good understanding by now from all the articles that I have written on being outdoors that I am a strong advocate for connecting with nature. Whether it be for the purpose of training or for the purpose of resetting and reconnecting, I think being outdoors is incredibly beneficial. I believe more people should take the time to go to new places and appreciate the beauty around them; you’d be amazed at the improvements in your performance (be it at work or in sport) once you’ve given yourself time to be outdoors more.