People Who Become Happier And More Peaceful With Age Usually Do These 5 Things Outside Every Day
Daria Trofimova | Unsplash Do you ever find your days passing you by in a blur of noise, notifications, and neon? Do you barely see your loved ones? Do you stuff a sandwich down your throat at lunchtime and then stare out of your classroom or office window, wishing you were somewhere else? Does your well-being suffer? Do you feel unhappy and agitated more often than not?
If so, don’t worry — we’ve all been there. But when you stare out of the window, where do you go? Do you envision the mall or traffic, or do you envision a sandy white beach, where you lie in a bikini watching the waves crash whilst simultaneously being fed strawberries? While your daydream fantasies might seem a bit far-fetched, they could represent a longing for a much more basic desire: the need to get back to nature — and ot become a happier, more peaceful person.
People who become happier and more peaceful with age usually do these 5 things outside every day:
1. Scatter birdseed and pause long enough to watch what shows up
While this might seem like an almost passive action, it doesn’t have to be. Sprinkle out the seed in a place that’s nearby, then find a comfy seat, and wait and watch for the diners to arrive.
Then, if the birds start making themselves known, make a note of the ones you see. That way, you can educate yourself about what birds live in your area at the same time, and who knows, you might even spot a rare one!
Our relationship with nature is one of the quiet foundations of a peaceful life. Spiritual healer Cyndera Quackenbust explains, "As you encounter plants and animals on your journeys outside, welcome the curiosity that comes to your mind." She points out that this kind of nature connection "is rooted in how nature inspires positive emotions, reduces stress, and fosters a sense of interconnectedness."
2. Go for a walk and pay attention to the things you see
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This activity enables you to truly take note of the things that you don’t notice when you’re busy. Start walking — it doesn’t matter where — and pay close attention to the details.
Is there a particularly beautiful plant in a neighbor’s garden? Does a tree have odd-shaped leaves or striking colors? If you’re in an urban environment, is there interesting graffiti? Does the light dance on a building in a unique way?
Spending time in natural environments produces real, measurable changes in the body, including lower cortisol levels and less activity in the brain regions tied to rumination. One Harvard study even found that women living near the most green space were 12% less likely to die over an eight-year period, which is a powerful reminder that paying attention to the world around you on a walk is genuinely good for your health.
3. Go outside and close your eyes for thirty seconds and just listen
This is a good exercise for when you simply don’t have much time to spare, but want to improve your well-being. By closing your eyes, however, you’re closing off one of your strongest senses: sight, a sense which can so often rule our decision-making and judgements.
Hence, by closing your eyes, you’re cutting yourself off from the everyday chaos of visual input and focusing more on the one-of-a-kind symphony that each sound contributes to. Looking at the bigger picture is good, but sometimes it’s calming to focus on the details, too.
Listening to nature's sounds, whether that's birdsong, rain, or the wind, reduces stress hormones, boosts positive mood, and creates a sense of calm that the constant hum of traffic and technology simply can't replicate. A study out of the University of Sussex found that when people listened to natural sounds, their brain activity shifted toward an outward focus of attention.
4. Look outside your window and make a list of all the colors you can see
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When you spend every day sitting at a computer, it’s easy to see the world as overwhelmingly grey. However, look outside for a moment, and you’ll realize that this is simply not the case. By noting all the colors you can see, you’ll soon see that the world is rich and vivid, even when your surroundings may seem dull or unextraordinary.
Research from the University of British Columbia found that people who paused to notice naturally occurring things around them felt more positive than those who focused on man-made objects. Lead researcher Holli-Anne Passmore was clear that this was more about noticing the little things in nature, explaining that "This wasn't about spending hours outdoors or going for long walks in the wilderness."
5. Listen to your heartbeat and remember every creature has one, too
There’s nothing like a quick exercise in 'sonder' to make you extremely thankful for the life you have. First coined in 2012 by John Koenig, Wiktionary describes 'sonder' as ‘the profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passed in the street, has a life as complex as one’s own, which they are constantly living despite one’s personal lack of awareness of it.’
Put simply: even if you don’t understand or know what might be going on in the life of a fellow living creature, they are still alive, with a life just as complex as yours. Reflect on this and begin to feel yourself become connected with all the living things you share the earth with. At the end of the day, nothing will completely stop our busy, 21st-century lives.
We will always have appointments to go to, friends to call, and Funkos to collect, too. However, if we just take stock once in a while and remind ourselves that we are a part of this planet, then we might find ourselves in a calmer and happier state of mind and well-being.
Alice Barker is a writer who focuses on health and wellness, self-care, and self-love. For more of her self-care content, visit her author profile on Unwritten.
