Photos & text by Anne Groebner

I was a chronic worrier. But… thanks to months of meditation, life-changing downloadable videos and e-books, stress-reducing diets and relaxation CDs, I have graduated to just occasional anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, I still worry. I worry about things that most people worry about, you know…money, health and nuclear war…but, before I made these huge efforts to contain my anxieties, sometimes I would worry and not even know what I was worrying about. Pretty bad, huh? I could take a difficult situation and turn it into catastrophe.

The little voice in my head was giving me some pretty bad advice and I believed it. And, before you comment on my having voices in my head, we all talk to ourselves. It’s the constant chattering you hear that can sometimes be reassuring but, at other times, turn you into an unreasonable maniac. The good news is that there is a way to slow down your thoughts, keep them positive and, for most people, help create a more manic-free and joyful life. And…if I can do it, then you know that there is hope for those of you looking for change, too.

According to Eckhart Tolle, “All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry — all forms of fear — are caused by too much future and not enough present. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past and not enough presence.” I believe it. I believe that living in the present moment is the key to overcoming fear. Easier said than done, right? Well, it takes practice and the best way I have found to practice living in the present is getting back to nature. Get out of your house, off the couch, away from the TV and head out into the woods. It is pretty amazing how much better you will feel. It’s almost impossible not to be present when you are hiking through wildflowers or up a mountain with amazing vistas, kayaking a scenic lake or even sitting on the banks of a river, fishing. They call it “mindfulness”…but I call it living. 

Tamara Lechner in her article “7 Reasons to Spend Mindful Time in Nature,” says that humans are designed to be outdoors. “Your brain is wired to respond to the smells, sights and sensations you receive outside. When you spend daily time outside, it makes you healthier and happier.” 

According to Lechner, stress decreases in nature by lowering the levels of cortisol — short-term memory increases — mental energy is refreshed and restored, thinking and concentration improves and positivity increases. She also states that it boosts the mental health of urban dwellers. “Ruminations or repetitive thoughts focused on negative aspects of self were shown to markedly decrease by spending 90 minutes in nature.”

Although it’s not necessary to live close to the woods — you can take a walk in a local park or even around your neighborhood — I prefer a trail that challenges me. I crave a trail that keeps me trekking around each corner to see what’s on the other side of a bend or over a mountain. 

Kayaking, one of my favorite things to do, offers some amazing scenery and a great sense of accomplishment — not to mention some great socializing — and wildlife sightings are just the icing on the cake.

In his book, “The Untethered Soul,” Michael Singer states that “if you are willing to experience the gift of life instead of fighting with it, you will be moved to the depth of your being.” Singer believes that there are two types of experiences that block the heart. “You are either trying to push energies away because they bother you or you are trying to keep energies close because you like them,” he says. “The alternative is to enjoy life instead of clinging to it or pushing it away” and, if you can do that, let each moment flow through you, each moment will change you. Just so you know, I would be the first person to tell you that it is impossible to let every moment go by and not spend time analyzing it to death and worrying about it. It is a process that certainly won’t happen overnight. It is something I will be working on until I leave this world and a goal that I believe I will reach, only to some extent. I believe I will obtain it by spending more time outdoors. Out where every journey turns into an adventure; where Mother Nature has already figured out how to let life flow as she bounces back, tragedy, after tragedy, with all the incredible grace, peace and beauty she has to offer. 

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.