With the weather starting to warm up and the first signs of spring starting to appear. I’m now itching to get outside and go explore. For many of us, however, this involves a lot of effort, time off work, planning and travel. So, what if I told you there was a simpler way to get that same buzz of adventure, but without all the ‘faff’…

For a long time now, I have enjoyed taking myself on what I like to call ‘micro-adventures’. They’re nothing crazy and certainly can’t replace long trips away, but being getting out, exploring and feeling a part of nature always brings me joy!

So what is a 'micro-adventure'?

Micro-adventures can be as elaborate as you want them to be, from simply going out into your garden and identifying your local wildlife or enjoying your lunch outside in the fresh air, all the way to camping, going for a wild swim or enjoying a local nature reserve. Many of us may do this in some way already through our daily routines, such as walking the dog. However, purposefully noticing nature, putting away our screens, and specifically setting aside time outside of our busy lives to relax and enjoy the outdoors can be so beneficial for our mental health and general wellbeing.

Switching off...

I’m sure we have all been guilty of coming home after a busy day and ‘doom scrolling’ on social media and whilst this isn’t inherently a bad thing - I have found some great inspiration off social media! - we can often find ourselves comparing our lives to others’ and wishing we could go on their crazy adventures. Some of my best times mentally are when I switch off from this online world and live in the moment instead. Rather than feeling lost by the fact that everyone else’s lives seem to be packed with so much more than my own, I start noticing the tiny joys nature brings.

Lately, instead of picking up my phone after a busy day, I have actively tried to make the effort to go out on micro-adventures. This has involved various things such as photographing wildlife in my back garden, heading on an evening stroll and paying attention to the birds I see, camping outside, and even just watching the sunset out my window.

... and finding joy

They don’t have to be massive actions; they don’t even need to be what others would class as an ‘adventure’. As long as it makes you exhilarated noticing nature on your front doorstep, that’s all that matters. Because any joy we get is 1000x better when it comes from simply noticing nature.