The Third Key to Happiness

My message is simple this time. Get outside!

Why?

Three reasons.

1) It chills us out!

Our lives can get so busy that sometimes we forget to just stop, breathe and take a look at the world around us. We forget to enjoy nature, culture, the sounds, the smells, the sights, which – when you do stop – can actually be quite beautiful.

There have been so many times where I have been worried about a situation or over stressed from work or angry from some sort of disagreement that I have just needed to get out and clear my head. It’s absolutely incredible how quickly all those toxic feelings disappear as you walk through somewhere like a park and simply look at the scenery around you.

There’s something about going out and exploring that is so therapeutic. It clears your mind, gives you space to think and reminds you that the world is a lot bigger and more beautiful than your problems. It just makes you feel better! Additionally to this, walking around makes us more active and therefore healthier, and exercise is not only good for our bodies, it makes us feel happier too. It can physically change our mood. So if you are feeling worried, stressed, annoyed or anxious about anything, I would advise you to find somewhere cool to explore and take your mind off of it for a while. Free therapy is always a win.

2) It improves our social life.

My husband Jonny and I are youth workers in Manchester. Roughly every year we take our young people to a Christian festival during the Summer. For five days, they have to adjust to a life without 24/7 social media and actually start chatting to each other. And what happens over those five days is beautiful. You watch these kids go from near enough silently staring at their phones to talking and laughing with each other, playing games, giving each other banter and forming genuine friendships. I am not one who is against technology. I can 100% see the benefits of having it. However, I do believe that using it too much can rob us of building relationships. It’s a great method of communication, but not when it is literally replacing communication! Or any interaction for that matter.

One of the things Jonny and I decided to do this year was climb a mountain once a month. Now we have not achieved that by any stretch of the imagination. But we have gone on more walks, and on the months where we do make it out (and up) it has been amazing for us. It has given us the space to catch up and chat and dream together. We end up having conversations that don’t usually take place because we have made time for each other to do something together outside. There are no distractions. Just the beautiful world around us.

One time, we went to somewhere called ‘Waterfalls Trail,’ and found a waterfall that we could actually go behind. We’d never done that before and I haven’t found anything like it since so far. It was stunning. Really cool.

This also happens when we go on holiday. One of our favourite things to do together is travel. See new places and explore together because it’s an adventure. Shared experiences give you something to talk about and remember. And the thing about nature and culture is it’s something to be shared.

It’s the same with my friends. Sometimes we all decide to go somewhere together and explore, and that is where some of the best memories are made. It’s a chance to put down everything else in your life that has taken center stage for a while, and actually focus on each other, doing something fun and therapeutic. You sometimes end up learning things about each other that you never knew and have the opportunity to do things together that you wouldn’t usually get to do. All other distractions are stripped away and you’re left with the space to talk and experience an adventure together. Seen as it’s Summer, whether it’s a spontaneous holiday or road trip or even a walk, why not put the phones away for a bit, plan to explore somewhere with your friends or family and just see what memories you can make?

3) It helps you become thankful.

When people try to describe me in one word, usually I get something along the lines of joyful. “Tiffany, you’re always so happy. You’re always smiling.” Now although it is not true that I am always happy, it is true that I am mostly happy. Why? I am joyful because I am thankful! And being thankful is something I have learnt to be. I have learnt to look at what I have instead of what other people have and be grateful for it. And one of the things that I am hugely thankful for is the world around me! Like I mentioned in, ‘The Secrets to Happiness,’ it can be so easy to look at what everyone else has and suddenly become very aware of what we don’t have. But this – I believe – is where the problem lies. It lies in where we are looking. The truth is we all have reasons to be thankful. And very simply, the world around us is one of those reasons. Being aware of the different cultures and natural wonders of the world changes your perspective.

Noticing how beautiful the trees become in autumn or when it’s snowed. Walking through forests or woods or hiking up a mountain and witnessing breath taking views from the top. Taking a boat ride and becoming overwhelmed at how blue and how big the sea is and how many cool creatures live there. Checking out different cities and different cultures and trying different food, listening to different music, speaking different languages. Falling in love with animals, some of which might fall in love with you.

There is so much to be in awe of. There is so much to be thankful for. At the end of the day, it’s all about perspective. We can believe we have nothing to be thankful for, but in fact we have a whole landscape of things to be thankful for. And it is all available to us all. They are freely given gifts for us to experience whenever we are ready. Sometimes you just need to get out and see what’s around you. Sometimes you just need to step out of the door.

I genuinely believe the world is a gift to us. To sit at home and never explore it is like being given an amazing present that you open but never use. It just sits in the box getting dusty. You’re not getting the most out of it. In order to experience some genuine happiness, we need to learn to make the most out of this gift! We need to learn to get out and explore! Put down your busy schedule for a moment and enjoy life. Bring people with you. Get outside, find those experiences and make memories.