Working from home and running a startup business can be stressful and exhausting, but taking time to connect with nature each day can inspire your creativity, enhance your thinking, and help your wellbeing. Taking mini-nature moments or giving your startup an outdoor strategy session are great ways to instantly shift your thinking and invite those big and brave thoughts needed for startup success.

We need time away from the screen, consuming lots of information, podcasts and feeling like we constantly need to ‘do’. Getting outdoors and connecting with nature brings you back to your own unique business startup voice and gets you away from the should do’s. Being in nature encourages your nervous system to relax and de-stress. It’s in this calmer state you make wiser decisions for your business instead of in a state of panic, comparison.

My brand name ‘Creative Wilderness’ came to me on a long hike in the hills as I realised how I feel my most creative and alive when outdoors connecting with nature in the Wilderness. I’ve seen time and time again how if I take myself or my clients outdoors to connect mkwith nature we flow more, get in touch with our intuition and think more creatively. And this has that ripple effect where my business grows and improves.

Here are my top 4 ways to bring nature moments into your working day. Choose which activity reflects what you feel you need at that moment and allow nature to help shift, soothe and inspire you…

Nature’s Tea Break: when you need to refresh and revive

One of the easiest and quickest ways to instantly bring energy back to your day is to take your cup of tea or coffee outside and become aware of your senses. Inhale the smell, taste, look up at the sky or the trees, notice the breeze on your skin, notice what you can hear. Take 5 minutes to enjoy this moment. This works really well first thing or for the mid-afternoon energy slump!

Taking it for a walk: when you are feeling stuck and out of ideas

One of the exercises that I do regularly with my clients is to take them for a ‘wilderness walk’ in nature if they have a business problem or something they are struggling to find an answer for.

We’ll bring that problem to mind and then put it out there and see what answers come up. We don’t try to ‘find’ an answer, we almost let it go and trust that nature will provide one. We can often over-think our problems and search for answers online or ask other people. And often these answers aren’t quite right for our own unique businesses. Handing this over to nature to see what comes up results in profound answers that create clarity.

If you’d like to try this exercise then head out on a short walk near you and ask nature for answers. See what comes up and let your mind and feet wander!

Giving your startup an outdoor strategy session

None of those genius ideas come when you are sat around a desk or in a stuffy office. Those expansive and innovative thoughts come from strolling and exploring under wide skies. Giving yourself or your team an outdoor strategy session can align you all on your vision, work through any areas you are feeling stuck with and come up with fresh ideas that aren’t following the crowd. There are lots of ways to uncover your business strategy, from finding natural objects to represent your vision, to guided prompts to dive deeper on a problem.

Getting on the ground: to soothe startup overwhelm

If you are running a business, it can feel like you have so many thoughts and things to do and that feeling of overwhelm can stop you from moving forward. One of my favourite ways to soothe my nervous system when I’m feeling burned out or have had a difficult project is to ‘ground’.

This is where your feet or body are in contact with the earth. I’ll either find a patch of grass to lie down on, or sit with my back against a tree and just allow myself to ‘be’. It can take a few minutes to relax but it’s almost like an instant wave of calm comes over me and 10 minutes later I feel like I’ve had a mini holiday!

I’ve seen time and time again how if I get outdoors and connect with nature I flow more, listen to my intuition and relax and consequently my business grows and improves. I regularly get out into nature to come up with ideas for my business and also take clients outdoors to unearth their business and brand vision. And more and more I see this is where magic happens!

How getting out into nature can improve your working day

• Helps your mind relax and get into a flow state where your best ideas happen
• Relaxes your nervous system so you are making business decisions from a wise and calm place
• Provides new insights and encourages you to think deeply and intuitively outdoors
• Gets you back in touch with your own voice instead of following the business crowd
• Encourages you to tune into your inner wisdom when in nature and gives you profound answers to questions that may be troubling you.