Travel & Adventure

The Camping Cure

Camping provides us with an easy way to shake out of the mundane, climate-controlled routine of our everyday lives and immerse ourselves back into the natural world where we can easily access a myriad of health benefits.

There's no wrong way to go camping, so whether you choose to "rough it" in a tent and sleeping bag or go glamping in a luxury RV with Egyptian cotton sheets, chances are you'll be spending more time in the great outdoors than you do in your day to day life. And that's the important part.

Forest-bathing, also known to the Japanese as shinrin-yoku, has long been known to reduce stress and anxiety, increase mood and immune function, introduce healthy and diverse bacteria to our microbiomes and stimulate creativity while helping mellow out our hyperactive prefrontal cortex.

In other words, nature truly has the capacity to help heal us. And the limits of that are largely unknown.

Dealing with novel challenges such as setting up a tent shelter or helping our spouse back into a tight campspot, facing adverse weather conditions or having to collect our daily drinking water and getting creative with food and cooking techniques in a limited environment, help encourage our brains to create, innovate and problem solve—all desirable traits for navigating the rollercoaster that is the modern world.

Removing the usual daily distractions of our home lives can allow us more space for stillness and mindfulness. Laying on the beach or sitting by the campfire can help quiet our minds, allow us to reflect, introspect and just breathe. If we use this time wisely, it has the potential to bring us back home feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and reborn.

The rustic nature of camping can even lead to an increase in our gratitude for the often overlooked luxuries of our everyday lives such as easy access to clean water, hot showers and a safe, sturdy shelter over our heads.

For some of us, camping is the only time we have to be alone, reconnect with good friends or spend intimate time with our beloved family. It becomes a sacred place to carve out connection, closeness, contemplation and community.