Are we losing touch with the earth?

Have you gone outside today? And no, the time it took you to walk to your car when you left for work this morning doesn’t count. 

Do you plan on going outside today? 

There are 168 hours in a week. If you’re working full-time, at least 40 of those hours are spent… “working”. Obviously, time is also spent sleeping and eating. But that still leaves you with about 60 hours in your back pocket. 

Life is crazy busy, we all know the grind. Sometimes work follows you home, long after you clock out.

Especially as a business owner. 

But why can’t we find (even a little) time to get outside today? 

Your average, ordinary, everyday American spends over 4.5 hours on their smartphone per day. Outside of work. 

Yikes. And yes, that should make you cringe a bit. 

Excessive screen time is one of the leading causes of disconnect from the surface of the earth. With a decrease in time spent outdoors comes an increase in mental health issues, feelings of detachment from others, sleep deprivation, and a lack of physical activity. 

We’re letting technology limit us. Technology should be freeing us to do more of what we love. 

But what can your average, ordinary, everyday American do to change this?

Try grounding

Grounding (sometimes called “earthing”) is the practice of electrically reconnecting your body to the charges within the surface of the earth. Studies have shown that physically reconnecting with the electrons on the earth’s crust has both mental and physical benefits. 

All of this is a long-winded way of saying, get outside and walk around barefoot. Or lay down on a sandy beach or a grassy hillside. 

Your body contains bioelectrical activity. Your natural defenses, like your immune system, can be restored when in contact with the free electrons on the earth’s surface.

Being outside in nature grounds us and instills a certain balance in our lives. Until recently, this fundamental need for the outdoors was never studied.

Many of our lifestyles don’t promote a healthy balance of indoors and outdoors. 

Prioritize the outdoors and feel better because of it. 

Stop throwing off your body’s natural bioelectrical environment. 

Oof that was a big sentence. Try saying that 3 times fast. 

Set limits and boundaries 

It’s about time you created something. And it’s about time you admitted that most of the time you spend on social media isn’t beneficial. Sure, maybe you saw a funny video, read a thought-provoking post, or watched an informational video. 

Let a week go by.

How many of those short videos do you actually remember? How many improved your life or helped you accomplish something in your business?

I’ve watched hundreds of stupid videos while scrolling through social media. I can honestly say very few have helped me accomplish anything. 

Set yourself up for success by establishing boundaries and limits. Block out periods during the day when you won’t use social media and limit the amount of time you do allow.

What if you suddenly had an extra 4 hours of free time every day. What would you do with all that time?

Would you get outside? Climb a mountain or go for a swim?

Would you spend more time with your family and friends?

Would you finally use that gym membership (y’know, the one you pay for every month but don’t use)?

No matter what you do, the extra time (and the increased mental performance by not being on a screen) will give you more opportunities to create. Create memories, journeys, and goals. 

Create, don’t consume. 

Hire a professional copywriter

As a business owner, you have a million things on your plate and a billion things on your mind. 

Imagine that weight being lifted off your shoulders. 

When you hire a professional copywriter, you will be confident knowing that you’re working with someone who sees the big picture and understands your long-term goals. You will feel assured that your business goals will be achieved and that you’ll have more time to do what you love. 

Business owners in the outdoor industry don’t want to be just an average, ordinary, everyday person.

We want to get outside. 

We want to experience those things that make it worth working every day. 

The outdoors is our why. The outdoors with family and friends. The high mountains and low valleys.

Let me take some of that extra work off your plate. Now you can focus on your business, get things done, and get outside. Don’t fall into the habit of being a business owner who never clocks out. 

Find that “outside” perspective

Although it's hard to have an “outside” perspective when you’re in the middle of it, I’m willing to bet that every one of us has shared this experience of feeling disconnected, or out of touch with the earth. 

This amazing world isn’t just featured on the National Geographic channel.

Instead of turning on the TV tonight to “wind down” or “relax”, take a moment to remember your why. 

Why do you work your ass off every day? What makes the bad days worth it? Why don’t you have more good days?

If you can spare it, take another moment to do something you haven’t done in a long while. 

Get outside and create something.