Hey there, and welcome to the latest issue of Further!
I didn’t really have anything in mind for a feature this week, but once I settled on the top ten selections, a theme emerged from a few of the resources. That theme in a nutshell?
Nature is good for you in lots of ways, and odds are you’re not getting enough of it.
The first thing that comes to mind when getting outside is exercise, and you’re covered with a great guide to hiking. The highlight article, though, discusses the surprising benefits of simply venturing into nature in general — things like lower blood pressure, relief from depression, and reduced stress.
If that’s not enough, getting outdoors can be an incredible catalyst for creativity. I know most of my a-ha moments happen out on the trail, and the same might be true for you.
You’ll find those three articles below. For a deeper dive on the science-based benefits of nature, check out this past issue of Further.
There’s more than that this week, of course. Discover how to slay the procrastination dragon for good, why feeling younger than your chronological age is good for your brain, the pursuit of “passion income,” and some wisdom from the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca that you’ll surely be grateful for.
Keep going-
further: top ten
In Recovery
The best part of any exercise class is the few minutes of cooling down and recovery at the end. And, it turns out, it doesn’t just feel great; there has been a slow sea change in how we view recovery.
How to Recover Like an Elite Athlete
Take a Hike
Hiking is still my favorite form of exercise, and I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of it in Colorado this late spring and early summer. While hiking is one of the simplest things to get started with, this guide will clue you in to some things you might not know, and will, at minimum, get you motivated to want to hike.
A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking: Everything You Need to Know
Nature for Nurture
These days, screen-addicted Americans are more stressed out and distracted than ever. And nope, there’s no app for that. But there is a radically simple remedy: get outside. Researchers are backing up the surprising theory that nature can lower your blood pressure, fight off depression, and beat back stress.
Take Two Hours of Pine Forest and Call Me in the Morning
Create Naturally
Being out on the trail is more than just exercise and de-stressing. Over the last few years, a number of studies has shown that interaction with the outdoors can be beneficial for your creative well-being. So here’s one more big reason to get outside.
Six Ways to Boost Creativity Outdoors
When Safety is Not Job One
In most situations, it makes sense to play it safe. When it comes to your career, though, sometimes it does make sense to take risks. You shouldn’t be (small-f) foolish or take risks just for the sake of it, but there are situations when the safe choice limits your upside.
Here’s When It’s Worth Taking a Big Risk in Your Career
When It Won’t Wait
When we have a purpose and a plan, procrastination doesn’t enter the equation. It goes beyond enjoyment, reaching to fulfillment. The cause is not laziness. It’s doubt. Confusion. Uncertainty.
Eliminate Procrastination By Asking Two Incredibly Simple Questions
Passion Is Not Passive
Passive income is great, and if you can find a way to get some, you should do it. But passion income is something completely different. Passion income is money you generate by simply doing what you love.
Passive Income Vs. Passion Income
Integrate for Great
The idea of “work-life balance” seems nice, but it doesn’t work for most people, and especially people with demanding careers. That doesn’t mean you blow off your non-work life. Instead, you find ways to integrate the two while being completely present in whatever you’re doing at that moment.
Young at Heart and Mind
Keeping your brain young and healthy is vital, and certain activities have been shown to stave off the effects of ageing pretty well. Now, new research in the journal Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience finds that people who feel younger have the structural characteristics of a younger brain.
Feeling Younger Than Your Age Could Be a Good Sign For Your Brain Health, Scans Suggest
Seneca Says
True generosity, Seneca argues, is measured not by the ends of the act but by the spirit from which it springs. “The wise man enjoys the giving more than the recipient enjoys the receiving. There is not a man who, when he has benefited his neighbor, has not benefited himself.”
Seneca on Gratitude and What It Means to Be a Generous Human Being
further: sharing
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