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Easy Ways to Find Adventure in Your Every Day
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As we get older, it’s easy to fall into the work-gym-sleep hamster wheel where every day feels the same. The monotony of adulthood can be draining, and often it leaves us asking: is this all worth it?
But, finding adventure in our lives doesn’t need to happen only when we escape on exotic trips (or let’s be honest, while scrolling through our phones). It’s really important for us as human beings to spend time exploring and engaging in creativity— for our health and longevity.
As a conscious decision-making coach and wellness entrepreneur, I’ve figured out some of the most effective ways to get moving and start exploring in your own backyard.
Here are my four simple, low-cost (mostly free!) ways to find adventure on the regular:
Get some fresh air.
Did you know that nowadays the majority of us spend 93% of our time indoors? Being outside and breathing in the fresh air actually has the power to shift our brains and invigorate our perspective. In Japan, there’s a national program called Forest Bathing to encourage residents to spend more time outside for their health. So, ask yourself truthfully: when was the last time you took a deep breath of fresh air? And take your movement into nature—whatever that looks like for you.
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Get some fresh air.
Did you know that nowadays the majority of us spend 93% of our time indoors? Being outside and breathing in the fresh air actually has the power to shift our brains and invigorate our perspective. In Japan, there’s a national program called Forest Bathing to encourage residents to spend more time outside for their health. So, ask yourself truthfully: when was the last time you took a deep breath of fresh air? And take your movement into nature—whatever that looks like for you.
Take yourself on an inspiration date.
Julia Cameron, the author of ‘The Artist’s Way,’ talks about the importance of engaging in creativity daily. One of the ways she recommends doing this is taking yourself on an “Inspiration Date.” A lot of times when we get stuck in our mundane routines, our lives become devoid of creativity. So, make a commitment to yourself to shift your perspective at least once a week. Maybe go on a walk in a new neighborhood. Meditate in a park near your house. No matter what it is, set aside time for yourself (even if that means marking it on your calendar!) to get inspired and recharged.
2
Take yourself on an inspiration date.
Julia Cameron, the author of ‘The Artist’s Way,’ talks about the importance of engaging in creativity daily. One of the ways she recommends doing this is taking yourself on an “Inspiration Date.” A lot of times when we get stuck in our mundane routines, our lives become devoid of creativity. So, make a commitment to yourself to shift your perspective at least once a week. Maybe go on a walk in a new neighborhood. Meditate in a park near your house. No matter what it is, set aside time for yourself (even if that means marking it on your calendar!) to get inspired and recharged.
Shift your sweat routine.
One of my favorite ways to feel adventurous is to change up my workout routine. If I’ve been obsessed with yoga for a few months, I’ll try to head to a boxing class or go on a run with a friend. It’s easy to treat moving our body like another thing we have to check off our list. But, what if you could use it as a form of releasing stress and recharging your internal battery instead? Brainstorm some new classes or types of movement you want to explore and don’t overthink it—just get out there!
3
Shift your sweat routine.
One of my favorite ways to feel adventurous is to change up my workout routine. If I’ve been obsessed with yoga for a few months, I’ll try to head to a boxing class or go on a run with a friend. It’s easy to treat moving our body like another thing we have to check off our list. But, what if you could use it as a form of releasing stress and recharging your internal battery instead? Brainstorm some new classes or types of movement you want to explore and don’t overthink it—just get out there!
Connect with another human IRL.
Sadly enough, over 70% of Americans consider themselves lonely. At the same time, we spend on average 24 hours a week on technology, engaging in “low-quality leisure,” often by ourselves. It doesn’t take much to ask a friend to coffee or go on a hike with a coworker. Humans are social creatures, and engaging in deep regular connection allows us to get outside of our busyness bubble and put things in perspective.
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Connect with another human IRL.
Sadly enough, over 70% of Americans consider themselves lonely. At the same time, we spend on average 24 hours a week on technology, engaging in “low-quality leisure,” often by ourselves. It doesn’t take much to ask a friend to coffee or go on a hike with a coworker. Humans are social creatures, and engaging in deep regular connection allows us to get outside of our busyness bubble and put things in perspective.
As a San Francisco transplant, I try to take advantage of the calm nature and literal jungles that are at our doorstep. After moving here from the hustle and bustle of New York City, the ability to get outside and be surrounded by nature is still astonishing to me.
Some of my favorite places to explore in the Bay Area are:
• Changing my scenery and going on at urban hike at Mount Sutro
• Climbing the hills of Mount Diablo
• Soaking in the views at Bernal Heights
• Relaxing by the ocean at Muir Beach
• Walking through the wildflowers in Half Moon Bay
• Meditate in the botanical gardens
• Go for a run along the water near Fort Mason (and stop at the Sunday Farmer’s Market afterward!)
No matter what your version of adventure looks like, use this as inspiration to get outside, move your body, and shift your perspective.
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As a San Francisco transplant, I try to take advantage of the calm nature and literal jungles that are at our doorstep. After moving here from the hustle and bustle of New York City, the ability to get outside and be surrounded by nature is still astonishing to me.
Some of my favorite places to explore in the Bay Area are:
• Changing my scenery and going on at urban hike at Mount Sutro
• Climbing the hills of Mount Diablo
• Soaking in the views at Bernal Heights
• Relaxing by the ocean at Muir Beach
• Walking through the wildflowers in Half Moon Bay
• Meditate in the botanical gardens
• Go for a run along the water near Fort Mason (and stop at the Sunday Farmer’s Market afterward!)
No matter what your version of adventure looks like, use this as inspiration to get outside, move your body, and shift your perspective.
Wellness
Foundational Steps to Cultivating a Daily Self-love Practice
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When you think of self-love what do you think of? Bubble baths, walks on the beach, facemasks, or what? Self-love can mean so many different things but when we think about self-love, we have to acknowledge loving ourselves both on the outside and on the inside. The way that we show ourselves love is one of the most important things we will ever do.
How do we treat ourselves? How do we talk to ourselves? What foods are we putting into our bodies? How are we thinking about our overall well-being when practicing self-love?
As self-love defines and redefined itself for you over the years, here are a few foundational tips to think about when easing into your self-love journey.
Step 1: Learn to set boundaries
Don’t we love this one? Loving ourselves has a lot to do with the boundaries that we have for ourselves, with others, and for others. Take time to think about your own emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs when setting boundaries that reflect your personal needs. Boundaries don’t have to be big and scary; they are here to remind us that you get to have your lived experience and still have expectations about how you’d like to be treated and what you’d like to feel.
When thinking about your boundaries, ask yourself:
- How do I feel without having boundaries?
- What would I like to have boundaries around?
- Are my boundaries actual boundaries or am I creating walls in my life?
- How do I plan to uphold my boundaries?
Step 2: Cultivate self-compassion
In a world where perfectionism and curated existences have been rewarded, begin to cultivate compassion for yourself. You are a soul having a human experience and it’s totally okay if things are not perfect.
Mindfulness exercises such as Breathwork, self-care activities, and self-compassion, all help train the mind, emotions, and even the body’s stress chemicals to be able to deal with undesired situations. Self-compassion means, can you be nice to yourself? Can you find empathy and kindness for yourself in the middle of what feels chaotic, stressful, or unwanted? Self-compassion means that we get to make mistakes, have our plans not work out the way that we wanted, and we still get to celebrate that we are doing the best that we can and it is enough.
When thinking about self-compassion, ask yourself:
- How do I respond to stressful situations?
- How hard am I on myself?
- How do I celebrate myself?
- How do I show myself kindness?
Step 3: Nourish yourself
In every sense of the word “nourishment”, begin to learn what nourishes you and what depletes you. Nourishment doesn’t just mean food for yourself; it means that whatever you are consuming whether it be media, podcasts, people, energy, information, etc. all impact the way that we think, feel, and experience life.
Nourishing yourself definitely goes right along the lines of having your boundaries intact and practicing self-compassion.
When thinking about nourishment, ask yourself:
- How do I nourish my emotional well-being?
- How do I nourish my mental well-being?
- How do I nourish my physical well-being?
- How do I nourish my spiritual well-being?
- How do I nourish my social well-being?
- How do I nourish my financial well-being?
That’s it. Those are the foundational steps to cultivating a self-love practice that you can ease into your daily routine. Come back to these questions often, because like anything else, self-love is a practice and it takes effort, time, and intention to maintain.
If you’d like to try breathwork, mindfulness, or play classes with me, check out these workshops and training sessions that work with your schedule. For other breathwork classes, browse Mindbody.
