3 Reasons to Get off the Beaten Track from Time to Time

Burning Campfire

A hundred or so years ago, the vast majority of people – including in the Western world – lived in the countryside and in rural environments, in general. Today, all around the world, more and more people are living in cities – and a large number live in sprawling metropolises the likes of which have never been seen before in history.


Although modern culture tends to be pretty focused on urban landscapes, technology, and other products of human artifice, there are plenty of groups, organisations, and attractions designed to help scratch that itch that we all feel from time to time, to “get back to nature.”

Here are just a few reasons to visit the camping store for a new pair of hiking boots, research Austrack Campers, and get off the beaten track from time to time.

So that you can see your everyday problems from a different perspective

When you are in your normal home environment, and are directly caught up in whatever may be troubling you, psychologically, at that moment, it’s very difficult – and maybe impossible – to really get a decent bird’s eye perspective on things.

Often, it takes completely relocating yourself to a new environment in order to gain a different perspective on your everyday problems and routines.

When you’re out in nature, you are in a situation that is naturally very different from your everyday life. Different enough, in fact, that you can start to see things from an outsider’s perspective.

Suffice to say, this can be very useful for resolving problems that have been hounding you for a while, and also for making difficult decisions that you’ve been struggling to come to a resolution on.

So that you can experience more powerful and memorable “moments”

In the book, “The Power of Moments,” by Chip and Dan Heath, the authors make a compelling argument that certain peak “moments” can have a disproportionate impact on our lives – often transforming the way we live and think about ourselves, literally overnight.

It’s important to note that powerful and memorable moments have to be things that stand apart from our everyday routines. They have to be different enough to stand out in our imaginations, and in our memories, as being particularly meaningful.

Since so few of us spend much time in nature at all, getting out into the great outdoors can be the perfect stimulus for generating those peak moments and experiences.

So that you can enjoy the rejuvenating effects of nature

Nature isn’t just pretty to look at, it also seems to have the potential to heal and rejuvenate us, just by virtue of the fact that we are exposed to it at all.

Research has found that people who live in more rural settings routinely report a higher overall quality of life, all else being equal. And there is some evidence that even the mere sight of a tree can help boost someone’s immune system and mood, simultaneously.

Nature isn’t always benign or benevolent – but there is something about it that seems to have the ability to rejuvenate us. So, take a walk in the forest from time to time, and allow yourself to be rejuvenated.