Some days things are moving so fast and furious that I feel like my head might explode. I know I am not alone.
It seems that in any organization work life is getting more hectic and demanding. No doubt this is due in part to all the “wonderful” advances in technology as well as the economic challenges we’re experiencing across the globe.
For Green Action Centre and other non-profits, we are increasingly asked to do more with less. It makes me recall an Alice in Wonderland quote: “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
Although we prevail, this success comes at a cost. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly, often foregoing breaks and taking lunch at their desks. I, too, am a culprit of this. Stepping away seems nearly impossible. We know working this way is unhealthy in the long run so we promise ourselves we will do better. Yet it is a constant struggle. At least it is for me.
As an environmental organization, we’re all about working to make the world a greener more sustainable place. But while we’re busy doing that, how do we find time to get out and enjoy the natural world too?
Then along comes the 30×30 Nature Challenge filling me with hope. It makes me believe it’s possible to make experiencing nature a priority even when we’re busy at work.
I want to prove to myself and my co-workers that it is possible to make a change and get out to enjoy nature for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. It reminds me that when I take a break and walk outside something magical happens. My breathing changes. I wriggle my fingers and toes. I stretch. Then I begin to remember how good it feels to be outside and I bounce as I walk with a smile on my face. I am more relaxed and engaged. Something else happens too. That urgent work suddenly doesn’t feel quite as urgent anymore.
I’m excited about participating in this year’s 30×30 Nature Challenge! I’m even more excited that we have committed as a workplace so that we can motivate and push each other every day.
We’re starting May 1st with a walk through Winnipeg’s Historic Exchange District, admiring Winnipeg’s older architecture and then following along the riverbank until we feel ready to slip away inside somewhere together and talk about what we hope to achieve with our extra “green” time throughout the month. Throughout the challenge, we’ll share updates and some ah-ha moments on how it’s going.
Want to join in? Sign up for David Suzuki Foundation’s 30×30 Nature Challenge. Or get your friends and family involved in the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Play it Forward.
