"If my doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood, I would type a little faster." ~ Anonymous

In a world that is still marred with the effects of a global pandemic, coupled with curfew and sometimes limited movement, the new normal had dawned on us; where people spend most of their waking hours indoors, unlike pre-covid days when the Great outdoors was a constant desire.

What if you woke up today and the doctor said you only have a few minutes or hours, maybe days to live? What would you do? My advice would be for you to step out and enjoy nature in its purest form, albeit for the last time if the doctor's estimation comes true.

The outdoors has a way of letting you lose your mind - in a good way, and gaining your soul. If sitting home all day and night is starting to take a toll on you, that's a sign that you need a break and go out into nature to refresh you memory, rejuvenate your soul, and heal your body.All these only happen if you take a chance on it.


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Mac Otani in Nyali. PHOTO/DANITO

Modern life is too hectic and stressful, especially in a busy metropolis like Nairobi, making it hard for an individual to have time for themselves. Most of the time you're either holed up in the office for hours or wasting away in unending traffic as you make your way back home from work. To enrich your life and strike a balance, you need to venture into the outdoors for various reasons.

Stress Relief

Do you ever find yourself tensed or stressed and your body cries for a way out? That's a cue that nature is calling you. You could take a walk down the woods and you'll be amazed at the massive difference it makes.

Nature in its purest form has a way of reconnecting you to your inner self and cure just about any form of fatigue and burn out.

Before you toss that tablet to relieve the recurring headache, try nature. A stressed mind is easily healed by forest therapy!

You and destress in various ways; yoga, a hot bath, good music, a cup of your favorite beverage, but nature is the fastest and most effective healer.

Mtoni Camp & Cottages. PHOTO/MAC OTANI

Take a walk and smell the flowers, sit by a water body (stream, lake, ocean) and allow your mind to wander away into the horizon. Soon enough, you will feel whole again.

Concentration Boost

Everyone needs therapy at some point in life and not all therapeutic sessions should be paid. Nature, in essence, is a natural therapeutic agent with the power to restore what's lost or broken inside of you. When overwhelmed with too much work on your desk you can barely think straight, get outside and enjoy the sun and fresh air.

Too much work can make you lose focus and risk you being declared redundant. It shouldn't get to this point when nature can do some magic and turn things around for you.

If going outside physically is a long shot, take a break off work and watch a natural scene through the window fir a few minutes, it still does the trick and restores back your sanity in minutes.

Nyali. PHOTO/MAC OTANI

No wonder it's called mother nature; it nurtures, strengthens and rejuvenates just like a mother.

Perfect chance to bond

Having loved ones around us makes life worth living and the memories you create together as a lifetime. Sometimes a simple outdoor activity is the perfect way to bond with your loved ones while they are still around.

Taking time to enjoy thrilling activities that are fun and adventurous help build a spirit of togetherness with one another.

Kigio Wildlife Conservancy. PHOTO/MAC OTANI

We tend to disconnect with one another over time, and even though technology is good and we can still reach our loved ones far and wide, nothing absolutely beats the physic time together with the people close to us.

New Connections

The outdoors exposes you to a whole new world of possibilities. Apart from healing your soul and restoring all that's dead within you, getting outside can help you create some connections that will take you a long way in certain aspects of your life, for instance your career.

When you go outside more, you tend to meet new people, like-minded individuals with a potential to catapult you to greater heights. Sometimes meeting new people opens your mind to see and accept different people with different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. It is a great way to learn about things you are not accustomed to.

This broadens your perspective and sometimes helps you burst some myths that you have ways believed concerning other people, cultures, places and even cuisines.

Almasi Apartments. PHOTO/MAC OTANI

In a world full of pressure, too much work, and noise, sometimes we get disconnected from reality. Nature has a way of telling us to pause and calm down, take deep breath and gain some peace of mind.

When you are living life on the fast lane, your body starts to burn out and slows you down. That's a call of nature to take time out and breath, enjoy the breeze, walk barefoot on the sand or grass to soak in nature from your soles up, feel the love of the people around you and simply just stop and listen.

Almasi Apartments. PHOTO/MAC OTANI

Practicing the pause and creating a sustainable balance between work and rest is essential for relieving tension and stress. Who needs antidepressants when nature can heal?