It’s the end of a long work day. Do you know where your brain is? By now, it’s likely scattered in a dozen pieces and places. A few bits stuck on that conversation you had with your boss/coworker/friend. Another bit returning texts. Another scanning Facebook or Twitter quickly to see if your status update got any likes. And a good half your brain is making weekend plans. At least mine is. Well, folks, it’s time to rinse it all out and get back to the here and now, get back to what matters. Every spring, the David Suzuki Foundation challenges Canadians (and people around the globe) to join their 30×30 Challenge. The premise is simple. Just commit to spending at least 30 minutes in nature for 30 days in May. We all spend too much time in front of screens (ahem). This is your chance to break free, get happier, get healthier, get smarter even. I’ve just signed up so I’m getting off my arse (which I think may have fused to my office chair after a long deadline day) and I’m heading outside to kick off the challenge…

Oh and as fate would have it, another challenge came into my inbox that I’ve decided to pair up with 30×30 – that’s a 30-day mindfulness pledge. The Toronto Mindfulness Community asks that you choose one or several commitments, like, say, meditate for a set time every day (I’m going to gun for 20 minutes), do certain activities mindfully (mindful cleaning would probably be a good start by the looks of my kitchen), etc. I did an eight-week mindfulness course last summer, which was pretty awesome, but I’ve got to confess the last month of crazier than usual work demands turned me into a bit of a burnt out brain with arms, going from screen to screen to screen like a digital version of The Walking Dead (did I mention I interviewed The Walking Dead’s exec producer for an article on greening the film biz in Corporate Knights magazine? But I digress…). So I’m going whole hog and double pledging. Thirty days of nature and 30 days of mindfulness. Join me for one or both (I promise it’ll bring you double the happiness). And really any time spent in nature is a mini meditation in my books so you’ll be killing two birds with, I mean observing two birds with one joyful mind.

 

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