Nothing recharges my creativity and general sense of wellbeing like forest bathing. Trekking into the woods grounds me, reminding me to breathe and take notice. It mutes the outside world for a moment, allowing me to reset when life gets too noisy.

BUT - on days stacked with meetings, appointments, and deadlines, or when the weather is too dreary to get outside, I sense an internal shift. My body feels electric—unsettled, restless, agitated—while my mind buzzes with the low hum of restless thoughts. I don’t read. I don’t write. I don’t create. I spend the little energy I have doom-scrolling on the couch while riding the waves of guilt churning from my lack of doing.

When days like these turn into weeks, mustering the motivation to put down my phone and get outside feels so heavy. In an effort to lighten the load when I don’t have the energy, I’ve started planning excursions in advance. Once it’s on the calendar, it becomes a commitment — time I’ve already accounted for — making it harder to justify any excuses that creep in.

One of these excursions, a recent camping trip, provided the literal and figurative breath of fresh air me and my family have needed. My Minecraft-obsessed nine-year-old spent every day-lit hour of the weekend enveloped in the magic of the forest with his friend, not even stopping once to groan about how much he missed the Nintendo Switch we intentionally left at home.

With Jason keeping the kids’ pace on our hike, I was gifted the rare luxury of meandering through the woods. I took my time to notice the quiet wonders of the forest waiting to be discovered:

I am forever mesmerized by these quiet little discoveries and reminded why they are so worth the effort. Like a child catching fireflies, I photograph everything, attempting to capture its fleeting nature. I freeze these moments, bottling the forest’s magic for the next dreary day.

The next time the weight of your week is dragging you down, step outside - even if it’s only for a couple minutes in your own backyard. Notice how the sun illuminates the leaves, the iridescence of a grackle’s feathers, and your reaction to noticing. The natural world gives us what we need, even when we don’t realize what is missing.