Posted on Wednesday, 5th September 2018

I recently visited family who live in the countryside. When I say countryside, I mean really rural, remote countryside. It was a weekend of walking, talking, eating and drinking.

It got me thinking about country/rural living and the lessons we could take from it and apply to any of our lives.

Spend more time outside

Where I was, you just naturally spend more time outdoors. There are amazing walks to go on, for all abilities, outdoor shows and fairs, and with fantastic views, it makes you want to be outside more.

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have probably noticed I often recommend getting outdoors when you can during your day, even just for 20 minutes on your lunch break. Fresh air, and some time to yourself can do you the world of good.

Appreciate the simple things

It is a simpler life, and as such makes you appreciate the simpler things. Whether it’s noticing the amazing sunset, smelling the change in season coming, or admiring wild flowers, the countryside is great for mindfulness. This can be easily lost in busier towns or cities, where we often forget to look up from our phones. Noticing and appreciating the little things, no matter where we are, can really make a difference to our days. I’ve talked about this a little more in my gratitude post.

Spend time with animals

You tend to see a lot more animals and wildlife in the countryside.

Spending time with animals has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. So getting a pet really could make you happier. If this isn’t possible doing something like offering to look after a friend’s pet for the day, or visiting a petting zoo, are all things that could make us feel better.

Less distractions, more talking

Country living is definitely slower living. Poor mobile phone signal, a scarcity of trendy bars and a smaller population means that time spent with loved ones is more frequent and less disturbed.

In our everyday lives we could all benefit from unplugging and spending more meaningful time with our loved ones. Human connection is incredibly powerful.

While I might not be ready for rural life myself, I think we can all take something useful from it.