*Please note: The following is from Damian Geleyns, Chief Legend Life Evangelist & Storyteller at legendlifeafter40.com
Host of the Wellness After 40 Summit, Nutritional Wellness Summit, Happy Minds Summit, Stress and Burnout Summit, Wellness Kids Summit, Resilient Families Summit & Legend Life Summit
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Time in Nature + New Experiences = A Transformed Life
In a world filled with endless to-do lists, screens, and schedules, it’s easy to lose touch with the essence of living a truly rich and fulfilling life. In fact most people don't believe they are anywhere close to living their best life. What about you? Does living a fulfilling, fully satisfying and thriving life seem unreachable for you? I am here to tell you that the key to “living your best life” is actually simpler than you may think? In fact it lies in two fundamental elements: nature and new experiences.
Research shows that time spent outdoors and the pursuit of novel experiences contribute significantly to a key dimension of what positive psychologist define as being the "Good Life", psychological richness.
Psychological richness is a life filled with variety, insight, and meaningful change.If you’ve been feeling stuck, uninspired, or disconnected, nature and new experiences might be the reset you need. These two factors can transform your well-being, mindset, and quality of life in the following ways:
1. Nature as a Gateway to Clarity and Calm
Nature has a profound impact on our mental and emotional well-being. Stepping outside, whether for a walk in the woods or a few quiet moments by the ocean, can shift your mindset in ways that indoor activities cannot. Here’s why:
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Spending time in green spaces has been shown to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. Simply being present in nature can lower heart rate and blood pressure while promoting a state of calm. Unlike the artificial sensory overload of screens and notifications, nature's sights, sounds, and textures gently engage our senses, creating a state of mindfulness.
Enhances Focus and Creativity
Ever notice how your best ideas come when you're on a walk? Nature resets our mental "bandwidth," giving our prefrontal cortex—a part of the brain responsible for decision-making—a much-needed break. This "attention restoration" effect can make us more focused, creative, and solution-oriented.
Boosts Physical Health
Outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening, cycling or kayaking combine movement with exposure to fresh air and sunlight. This exposure increases vitamin D levels and supports better sleep patterns—two vital components for overal physical and mental well-being.
2. New Experiences and the Power of Novelty
While routine brings comfort, it’s novelty that sparks growth, insight, learning, and meaningful transformation. New experiences add color, dimension, and what is known as psychological richness to life.
Why Psychological Richness Matters
Traditional notions of living your best life focus on happiness and meaning. But psychological richness introduces a third path to living your best life. It emphasizes experiences that shift our perspectives, change our understanding of the world, and deepen our self-awareness. This richness is achieved not through stability, but through dynamic and sometimes challenging life experiences.
The Role of New Experiences in Growth
New experiences challenge you to think differently, feel deeply, and grow. Here’s how:
•Builds Resilience: When you try something new—like taking a painting class, trying a new sport/activity or traveling to a new city or country—you face uncertainty and discomfort. Overcoming this discomfort builds emotional and psychological resilience.
•Increases Empathy: Exposure to new people, cultures, and ideas broadens your perspective, allowing you to empathize with others.
•Keeps Your Brain Young: Trying new activities keeps your brain stimulated, promoting neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and grow.
Your Takeaway: Novel experiences may feel uncomfortable at first, but they’re essential for growth, creativity, and wisdom. Challenge yourself to seek out "firsts"—your first hike, your first pottery class, your first solo travel trip, or your first time volunteering for a cause. Each experience enriches your inner world.
3. Nature + New Experiences = A Life of Adventure and Fulfillment
Combining nature and new experiences—unlocks even greater levels of psychological richness. Imagine climbing a mountain you’ve never hiked, kayaking a river you’ve never explored, or taking a weekend camping trip to a location you’ve never visited. Each adventure invites growth, connection, and clarity. Here’s why this combination is so powerful.
•Adventure Builds Confidence: Trying a new outdoor activity, like paddleboarding or rock climbing, builds self-confidence. Every small achievement, new skill learned, adds to your sense of capability.
•Deepens Connection to Self and Others: When you explore nature with friends or family, you forge lasting memories and deepen your relationships. Experiences shared in nature have a bonding effect.
• Breaks the Monotony of Routine: Life can feel repetitive when each week looks like the last. But a year filled with new outdoor experiences helps to take you from ordinary to extraordinary.
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Your Challenge This Week: Set aside time this weekend to have one new experience in the great outdoors with your partner, your family or friends. This could be as simple as visiting a trail you've never explored, taking your family on a mini adventure. What the experience is, is not as important as the experience being novel and in nature.
Get ready to bring some psychological richness into your life! It should be clear to you now that happiness and meaning the traditional ways of measuring if you are living a "Good Life" are not the only measures to use. That equally important is living a psychologically rich life - a life filled with variety, growth, new insights and perspective shifts. Nature and new experiences are two of the most accessible and powerful tools to achieve this. Nature when combined with experiences — can change the trajectory of your life.
-Stacy Davis, MSC., PFT
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