
Intensive Decompression: Brain Reset by Sleeping in Nature - akonan
http://www.hackersguidetowork.com/intensive-decompression
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lifeisstillgood
I remember with crystal clarity only a few moments in my life - almost all
were outdoors - waking up in a hammock just as dawn cracked, floating in
Windermere as dusk set in, amazing memories.

My children's births I also remember but the amazement and awe is overlaid
with stress and worry - so yes, get outside if you want your heart to relax.

~~~
doctoboggan
I've experienced this crystal clarity a few times in my life. Once, lying with
my dog in the yard as a teenager, and another time driving over a hill and
seeing a beautiful sunset. I experienced an almost overwhelming joy and love
of life.

I am not a religious person but I think these are known as "Peak Experiences".
[0]

I also experience "ASMR" [1] and maybe these things are related.

[0] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_experience>

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_res...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response)

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bcbrown
Thanks for the link to Peak Experience.

Two years ago I spent six months driving across the country, camping and
hiking in national parks. I experienced several instances of what I described
as "transcendent ecstasy", which sounds like a similar phenomenon.

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blaze33
What I really appreciate about spending time in the wild – hiking for me – is
how it allows me to step back from my everyday life. Go to some place, eat,
sleep, that's not much but it fills your whole day and it's a very satisfying
experience.

I kinda have this feeling that I always have to fight for happiness in the
city whereas it comes naturally in the wild.

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GiraffeNecktie
Just watched this the other day on Netflix.
<http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/happypeople/>

Takes you deep into Siberia to the winter campsites of trappers. Harsh life
but very beautiful.

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akonan
Thank you for this! Looks really good! Will watch it later :)

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klinquist
tl;dr: go camping once in awhile.

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gbaygon
I see that you are getting downvoted, it may be beacuse you don't add to the
discussion, but to be fair the article doesn't offer more than the above line.

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akonan
You are right, there's nothing more to it. It's really simple :)

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gbaygon
Maybe it sounded harsh, it's not, your sibling comment explains it better. I'm
also (almost) in my 30s ;)

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akonan
I don't think it's harsh at all :) I'm too (well) on my 30s and I've been
thinking about these things a lot. I'll write a blog post on the subject
later, because simple vs complex solution thing intrigues me.

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itsmeduncan
I agree, but I think that there are different stressors in our lives. Work
stress is hard to deal with, and I deal with it by sailing. However, there are
stressors when sailing: the safety of the vessel, the safety of my crew, etc.

~~~
akonan
True and those stresses experienced while sailing are more true than the ones
experienced at work. You don't stress about deadlines when you are in front of
the bear :)

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jakejake
I'm personally not into camping at all, but I think the point is to take some
time to do something you love. I personally love to ski, but even a day alone
playing video games can do the trick, it's more about getting away from work
as completely as possible.

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akonan
This was my little experiment to battle stress and pressure at work. How do
you manage stress?

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colanderman
Get on a bicycle and just ride _somewhere_ (but nowhere in particular). Forces
my mind out of deadline mode, since I can't know when I'll be back or when
I'll get to where I'm going. Also, by removing myself from familiar
surroundings, helps me forget things (like work) associated with them.

~~~
akonan
Those are great tips!

I could see myself building a habit of wandering around unknown parts of the
city.

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outworlder
Where do you live?

I can't do that. The 'unknown' parts of my city are unknown for a reason...

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jessaustin
The danger you face on a bicycle is from motorized vehicles. You're not going
to get mugged on a bike during the daytime unless you are very unwise. Ride a
bike that isn't obviously valuable, don't wear fluorescent colors, don't stop
to sightsee, don't stop for conversations, and don't expect your lock to help
you if leave your bike unattended. In poor areas riding a bike is an indicator
that you are poor or that you have lost your driver's license (which is
another indicator that you are poor). As long as you don't contradict that
impression you'll be fine.

For instance, when I lived near LA I would regularly bike all over, including
through areas such as Compton.

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gwern
There's been a lot of research in the past decade on the benefits of greenery:
[http://www.gwern.net/The%20Melancholy%20of%20Subculture%20So...](http://www.gwern.net/The%20Melancholy%20of%20Subculture%20Society#fn28)

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akonan
Thanks for the link! It sure looks like I need to read more on this subject

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hcarvalhoalves
We didn't evolved to sit in an office 9-to-5.

