Close your eyes and take a deep breath…
Your life is probably busy. Many of us are busy with demanding jobs, or kids, or pets, or all of the above. Point is, we need to relax and recharge those brain cells.
Camping is a chance to step out of our day-to-day life and enjoy the outdoors. These 15 relaxing camping activities will help recharge your brain. It’s good to give your brain a rest and do something a little different.
As quoted in Scientific American, “Beyond renewing one’s powers of concentration, downtime can in fact bulk up the muscle of attention—something that scientists have observed repeatedly in studies…”
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“Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets…The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.”
Not only is it great for you brain to relax, but Eurika! offers 10 Health Benefits for Camping that we completely agree with.
Downtime is essential for the brain. So here’s a list of things to do while camping that will help you use your brain in different ways that could “bulk up the muscle of attention.”
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Lay on your back in the middle of a field and watch the clouds drift by
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Take a nap in the middle of the day
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Climb a tree
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Draw
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Skip rocks over water
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Collect bugs
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Whittle
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Read a good book
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Go for a run (or a walk)
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Lay down in a hammock and close your eyes (if you fall asleep, great!)
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Write a poem sitting outside
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Roll down a hill
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Bird Watch
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Watch a sunset
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Lay on your back at night and stare at the stars
So, next time you’re planning a camping trip leave some time for some of these relaxing activities to help your brain recharge. Your body will thank you.
