Peace and Tranquility in Nature

In my book, I included a chapter, The Restorative Power of Nature, that details the scientific evidence that time spent in nature has measurable positive effects on both mental and physical health. That chapter also includes tips on how to bring nature's benefits into your own life, no matter how restricted you are; studies show that even looking at pictures of nature provide benefits. You can read an earlier version of that chapter/article here on the blog. With that in mind, I wanted to share some photos and video of some of my own recent time spent outdoors, which provided a much-needed respite in the midst of a busy month.

First, in spite of weeks of rain, we managed to get out for a couple of nights camping. It was a tight squeeze, with everything else we've had going on, but those two days of complete relaxation outdoors were worth the rush to get there. We took our pop-up camper to a beautiful state park in Maryland, less than an hour from our home. With views from our campsite of the Elk River and expansive views of the Chesapeake Bay near the historic lighthouse, we soaked in all the sights and sounds of nature. Here, I put together a video of photos from our short trip. View on YouTube or below:

Expand the view to full-screen, and you can also enjoy the peace and tranquility of nature!

Just a few days after that camping trip, we met our sons (and one girlfriend) at a rented lake house for the weekend. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and a tropical storm sat over the area for much of the weekend (and the following week!), but Friday evening was beautiful. My husband and I got the kayaks out on the lake, and we all enjoyed a stunning sunset over the water. In spite of the rain, the rest of the weekend was super-relaxing, and we loved having that time together as a family. A few photos:

I find being near the water especially peaceful and restorative.

Have you been able to spend any time outdoors lately?

Or even just looking at nature through your windows?

Let me know in the comments below.

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