How to Soothe a Cold by Going Outside
Staying snug inside isn't always the answer
One of my friends has a cold and refuses to venture out.
It’s been two days and she’s insistent it won’t help to take a step outside for a stroll.
I get it. Chillier days during autumn and winter call for cosy times with endless cups of tea and Netflix on-demand. But is it going to soothe your stuffiness?
Here’s how a brisk and brief outing in nature may make you feel much better:
Nature Nurtures
Simply put, nature is there for your benefit. It remedies your cold by encouraging self-awareness.
Going out into the forest or a park is my natural remedy (for pretty much anything). It’s literally how I find sense and meaning again.
You see, I can’t stand being cooped up inside for days because I begin to feel low and it knocks me out of my flow.
Even when I’m ill, being bed-bound doesn’t do the trick. The more you hibernate, the harder it is to get your butt into gear.
But when I take a step outside, a wave of relief almost instantly hits me. Nature is my cold remedy.
Simply spending five minutes works a mini-miracle on my mind and makes me feel fine. There is evidence — wahoo! Let’s go!
The crunching of leaves or the ice-cold hitting my face is like a wake-up call. I feel nature reach within my soul and whisper in my ear:
'welcome back’
Now there’s new research to prove that being in nature cures our body and mind.
Exposing yourself to the natural environment may even reduce the risks of many diseases. Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof.
Asides from the health benefits, nature has profound effects on your frame of mind, here’s some:
- It makes you more open to others.
- It reignites your right to feel worthy.
- It enables you to think with a thankful, clear conscience.
- It taps into an awareness of what is within and outward.
- It makes you forget and focus on now.
There is proof that surrounding yourself in greenspace relieves stress and retrieves creativity.
A sense of creativity and connection are sparked when you bathe yourself in nature, bringing our brains and bodies a pure feeling of bliss.
Release and revive.
How?
Nature can create kindness because gratitude and appreciation naturally occur when looking at leaves and plants.
When arguing with my parents in the past, I’d rush to the forest for forgiveness and stillness- it worked every time.
Nature as a Drug
Imagine nature to be a natural prescription: it never runs out and is always ready to heal.
Scotland now prescribes nature! This is a clear advancement in health care (in my eyes) and I certainly hope it catches on sooner than later in more places.
Why?
You know it yourself... Now more than ever, we need to take time out in nature and turn off from technology.
Love nature and it loves you back. There’s no need to try, it comes naturally to us all. We are humans and are blessed with the ability to feel for our surroundings. Emotional connections to nature are impacting and meaningful…
It’s proven so. (BOOM — yet again!)
So don’t be scared; be thrilled by the novelty that nature awaits you on your doorstep to make you feel complete again.
Mindset Matters
Most of the time, we take prescription drugs because we have no other choice (or so we think) to do anything else within our handling. It's not true. Remedy a cold with natural ingredients. I personally love lemon and ginger water. Works a treat.
Scientists state that the mindset may be the best healer. If a positive perspective is pursued, any disease could be deterred.
Step aside from the illnesses and consider daily occurrences.
My Example of Teaching
I’ve experienced fluctuations in my emotions daily when battling with getting up early and travelling to schools. When I’m mardy in the mornings, kids pick up on my vibe and become disruptive and rude towards me. It sucks.
Yet if I set myself up to be cheery and playful then they act like that towards me too. We have fun and the class can be driven, energised and focussed.
Now imagine kids are a disease: fight it off with fearlessness and it can’t kill your vibe. If you let it get to you then it’s far easier to loathe in self-pity, taking over all your senses.
Now think of nature as a healer: you go out with the intention it will feed love, light and life back into you and it does.
Remedy a cold by realising you are in control. When you approach anything with an open mindset, there is always room to profit and prosper.
In the renowned American documentary film, based on the bestselling book The Secret, a lady is said to have overcome cancer by confronting her state of mind. She implements positive thinking into her daily life and cures her cancer. Pretty miraculous and mindboggling, I know. To some, this might seem absurd, and I understand. But it worked.
Ok, it’s not the cure to cancer but it is a great guide in how the mind is more powerful than we can imagine.
Make it your mission to come up with three things you’re grateful for daily and watch the weariness waver away, as the stillness comes into play.
Gracey Grossmann is an English lassy residing in Berlin with a passion to help people find peace, love and joy in life. She finds strength through God and sense through writing. Graduated in Journalism and Spanish, teacher of English and yoga, coach in wellness and mindfulness, her mission is simple: share ways to de-stress, regain strength and encourage self-acceptance. Her laugh can be heard from miles away.
