Why get outside?
Depending on your perspective, you may think having to explain why getting outside is worth it is insane. Some might rather demand an explanation of sitting in front of the computer for several hours a day (more on that in a different post). But this part is for the audience that thinks getting outside is a waste of time (which is the vast majority of engineering/tech grad students that I know).Feel better
Those who rarely go outdoors may often think of it as a place of discomfort. It's often too hot or too cold compared to the narrow window of the indoor climate. There's bugs, there's thorns, there's maybe even some legitimately scary things like bears or venomous snakes. All these things cause some amount of discomfort or fear. But is being uncomfortable or afraid really a bad thing? In large doses, yes. But in the amounts one expects to find on a hike in the woods? I would adamantly argue that these two feelings are not to be avoided, but embraced.
Discomfort is a sign of being outside your comfort zone, pretty much by definition. This is a good thing. Discomfort is where growth happens, but you do have to be careful to not take it too far. If you haven't spent more than 20 minutes outside in the last decade, I wouldn't suggest embarking on a 6 month back-country backpacking trip. But when you keep the discomfort at a somewhat manageable level, over time you increase your comfort zone. People adapt to their environments over time. So if you spend more and more time outside, you learn to better exist in that environment. Also, humans actually evolved outside, so they're pretty quick to get used to natural environments even after never having spent much time in them before.
Fear is a healthy response to external threats.* When humans existed in nature, they had very real things to be afraid of. Bears and venomous snakes can kill you, so fear of them prompts specific and actionable responses. What's not healthy is living in vague fear, and this is what happens when humans aren't confronted actual threats, but instead vague ideas of problems in the future, often by news outlets or other forms of media. Humans seem to have an innate level of fear. When the threat is vague and never directly faced, fear lingers and constantly reminds you that something could be going wrong. When you're at risk of real physical harm, it resets this fear level, and helps put your other vague or irrational fears into perspective.
Work better
If you're reading this blog, there's a good chance you're a graduate student which means you don't have time to care about frivolous things like feeling good and enjoying yourself. For me though, getting outside isn't just self-care, it actually boosts my productivity. My background is in computer science and programming. I can tell a noticeable difference when I've had enough time off recently. I plan my code better, I make fewer mistakes in implementation, and I'm more creative when coming up with solutions. This does also work an a smaller scale than this article is discussing. Often it only takes the first two minutes of my planned 10 minute stroll around my apartment to figure out a new place to test for bugs.
How to Get Outside
So, you either already loved getting outside, or I artfully persuaded you to do so above. How do you do it? Maybe you lack motivation, but you know deep down that you want to. Maybe you never feel like you have enough time. Maybe you just want a few hints because you can't quite get the whole thing together.
Make Time
This is the hardest part, and it's the part that I struggle with the most. Time is the scarcest resource in graduate school in my experience. Getting far enough ahead to responsibly take time off is difficult or nigh impossible depending on your situation. You have to be disciplined in your time spent working. To keep this discipline you have to value your time have. There's a whole host of tricks, each needing their own article, realistically. Some of my favorite productivity methods are mindfulness/meditation, the pomodoro technique, hourly scheduling, and keeping a work journal. If you can make some of these things work for you, you might just be able to get ahead. No matter what, you'll have to work hard.
Commit
Despite all odds, you've triumphed. You managed to get several uninterrupted hours which you have decided to spend outside. If this hasn't already been a hobby of yours, you're now likely questioning if all the hassle is worth it, sitting on the couch and watching Great British Bake Off while sipping wine taunts you. Staying in would be easier, but at some point, past you decided going outside was worth it. Current you is tired and will find any excuse to stay in their comfort zone. Listen to past you and commit.
Logistics and Helpful Hints
One of my favorite tips is to always be ready. I used this strategy when I was in the working world as well. I keep these basics in my car at all time:
- A change of clothes (seasonal dependent)
- climbing gear/seasonal adventure gear
- a sleeping situation
- first aid kit
- food that will keep in the heat/cold
If you have all of these things ready, it's one less barrier. This also let's you be able to play it by ear. You may not be sure what time you're going to get out of that meeting with your advisor, but maybe if it gets out early you'll have time to change in the car before you get out to that hike you've had your eye on.
Another tip is to always have a few options ready to go. You may have wanted to get out to that hard to reach bouldering area for a few months, but if an assignment takes longer than you want, be prepared to go to that crowded local hike instead.
Also, get in the habit of checking the weather for your go-to spots. Maybe it actually is worth it to stay in and get ahead if the weather looks awful. Personally I use weather.gov for projected rainfall amounts, which is the biggest variable for my outdoor pursuit, climbing.
What it's Really All About
I avoided this type of discussion above, because I wanted to try to give some practical advice. Don't get me wrong I firmly believe everything I wrote above, but the real reason I make time to go outside is because I feel a special connection with nature. When I do get out, a part of me blossoms. I get to feel truly at home, and I get to exist in truth and simplicity in ways that are hard to come by in the cluttered and complicated world of grad school. When I go through protracted periods spent mostly indoors, part of me withers. I lose my grounding, and I feel disconnected from the world. I worry that people who have never spent much time outdoors genuinely do not know what they are missing. Being outdoors is an integral part of the human experience, and, unless you've given it a real shot, I would humbly request that you at least make sure you don't want to.--
Disclaimer: Some people have very real fear or trauma disorders. Discussion of fear and discomfort in this passage is not necessarily meant for them, and it certainly is not meant as any professional psychological advice.
