Get Outside!

I wrote a post about stress + anxiety (two very unwelcome roommates of mine) a few weeks ago and mentioned how going on walks and runs really helped me manage stress. The more time I spend outside, in any capacity, the better I feel. 
A few days ago, I blacked out at Target I got a little excited for summer while I was at Target and ended up bringing home this pool/water slide/sprinkler combo (side note, it's only $35 at Target, I just can't find the link for it). It had been one of the most stressful days I'd had in awhile (which is why I ended up at Target...retail therapy, you know?), but when I got home, I blew that baby up and sat outside while Jack splashed his little heart out. 
And I felt so. much. better. Being outside, breathing the fresh air, watching the sky turn pretty colors. The stress of the day just melting away, because it's hard to be stressed in a situation like that.  So this is me reminding you to get outside. 

Go for a walk. For your whole lunch hour, or just around your block. 
Take your shoes off. Feel the grass or the sand or the dirt under your feet, for just a second. 
Sit outside and watch the sunset. Really watch it. Press pause on everything else and really notice how beautiful the colors the sky turns every night are. 
Go dip your feet in a pool, or a lake, or the ocean. There's just something about being near a body of water that wakes you up. 
Just step outside and look at the stars. On your front porch, on your balcony, in your driveway. You don't have to go far. Take some deep breaths of fresh air. Remember how wonderful it is to be alive and how beautiful this place we live is. 
It's way too beautiful to stay cooped up all day. Don't go from home to work to home to bed without stepping out to enjoy some fresh air.
Get outside. Soak it up. I promise, You're gonna feel good.