Taking Some Mum Time…in the Outdoors @thereluctantexplorers

To all the Mums out there, this one's for you! 

I love my kids with every fibre of my being and wouldn’t change them for the entire universe (nor would anybody else want to have them. One of them is terrible at sleeping and the other brings the phrase ‘early riser’ into a whole new world!) 

But sometimes, I just need a break. Sometimes, I just need some time to BE.

To take a step away from the cacophony of noise and to find some solace, in a place far away from the incessant snack requests or from the complaining that there’s nothing to do, or from the constant battle with screens.

The outdoors.

Outdoor Therapy

The outdoors is my happy place. My place to think. If I’m on my own, I’ll occasionally listen to a podcast or music, but most of the time I literally spend the whole time in silence. 

I have some of my best ideas whilst outdoorsing. I can work out some of my anxieties, sometimes I’ll have full blown conversations with myself, with only the sheep there for an audience (true story). 

The silence that you can find outdoors is therapy for me. A place that is widely separated from the chaos of homelife. It’s the equivalent to taking a big, centring deep breath. 

And there is a science behind it too. 

What Do They Put in This Outdoors Thing?

Did you know that there has been a study carried out into the therapeutic effects of green and blue space on physical and mental wellbeing by the Queens University in Belfast? 

When I say green and blue space, I’m not making a cloaked reference to Guardians of the Galaxy. No, I’m referring to green space as being open and undeveloped land with natural vegetation, trees, shrubs and flowers. Blue space? That’s water, rivers, lakes, ponds, canals or the sea. 

The study showed that exposure to these types of outdoors environments made measurable improvements to physical health, such as decreasing cortisol levels (cortisol is your stress hormone), blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as the subjects generally reporting a better level of health. 

It’s said to boost feelings of relaxation and confidence, reduce the feeling of loneliness, help build connections with nature and other people and even in simply helping you to get a better night’s sleep…although the kids’ll put a stop to that one in no time! 

Try to Make Time

I get it. Between juggling kids, work and life admin stuff, it feels like there isn’t enough time. There’s always something that can get in the way whether that be tackling the washing mountain, hitting that deadline or being the hobby taxi service. 

But, did you know, taking just 5 minutes outside to take a brief walk will boost your mood. Taking 10 minutes out on a sunny day will boost your Vitamin D levels. And 20 minutes? You’ll reduce stress levels and actually return feeling ready to tackle the Mum life stuff! 

Outdoor Clothes for Women 

And THAT is why I love the ACAI brand so much. There is no other outdoorwear brand out there that works so seamlessly between Mum life, work life and outdoors life. And I am THOROUGHLY invested! 

I partly work from home and when I do, I live in my ACAI skinnies, which are smart enough to work in, are comfy enough to sit in and then are practical to head out onto the moor for a lunchbreak wander without having an entire outfit change! It helps to optimise the limited time that I have in my day.

What else do you have in your wardrobe that can deliver that?

I love that they are outdoorwear that are created for style as well as practicality, which also totally ticks the box of confidence boosting mum material too! 

So, what are you waiting for? Go do some Outdoorsing! Boost your mood, lift your confidence and clear your head! 

Go get yourself some Mum time!