Recovering from Burnout Series: Strategy 7- Get into Nature

Nature is where I connect with God best. Life also shifts into a more realistic perspective for me when I’m walking outside, hiking or running down a trail, sitting by a creek, or standing next to a vast ocean. As I have been recovering from burnout, I have been intentional in taking time to be in nature as much as possible.  

When my mom and I were visiting Carlsbad, CA, while I was on a leave of absence from my job, I ran into my cousin on the beach. It turns out she was moving back to Wyoming the next week, and she needed someone to take over her CA apartment for a couple of months. The apartment was a twenty minute walk from my favorite beach, and right when she shared the situation, I knew this opportunity was for me! The two months turned into renting the apartment for the next six months, and I spent so much time walking the beach, soaking in the beauty, and resting my mind in the diffusion the sound of the waves created. 

This was a gift beyond what I could have asked for, and it was probably a turning point for my body to start recovering from the stress it had been under and the long COVID symptoms that lingered. While we don’t usually have six months at the beach dropped in our lap, there are ways now, away from the waves, that I intentionally spend time in nature, and I hardly ever regret it!  Living in the Southwest desert during our hot summers does cause occasions for “Why didn’t I get up earlier to take this walk?” as I sweat in the 8 am heat. 

Be intentional with somehow connecting with nature daily. It could be as simple as opening a window and letting the sounds of the birds come into your home. It could be getting away for a day trip to somewhere away from the noise of everyday life. 

Notes in the Margins

How does nature help you connect with God and yourself? 

What is one way you can “get into nature” in the next day or two?