If you are a couch potato like me, you probably haven’t spent much time outside lately. I don’t sit in my front yard seeing shapes in the clouds or watching the leaves blow on trees as a gust of wind comes by anymore. These are things that I used to do when I was younger, but a lot has changed in the past few years; life nowadays seems like a race that needs to be won. There is always another item on my to-do list that needs to be checked off, or a responsibility that needs to be fulfilled. There is always a homework assignment due by midnight, or a upcoming test that needs to be prepared for.The point is, in the fast pace of our lives, we have forgotten what it feels like to live in the moment and appreciate our surroundings.

As October comes to an end and the cold season approaches, we can expect many environmental changes that will leave us breathless. The changing color of the leaves, the cold weather that will leave us feeling refreshed, and considering how the past few years have gone, the snow that shouldn’t appear in the fall season but still somehow always manages to make it back to us. During the month of November, spend more time appreciating nature and all of its beauty; feel the cold on your face and the wind in your hair, and watch the leaves fall from the trees. Don’t think about the things that are waiting for you, but appreciate the moment of tranquility that is meant to be enjoyed without any distractions. The world is yours, and it is your obligation to enjoy it as much as you can.

Forget about taking an Instagram picture with

“#nofilter” and truly look at the scenery that is in front of you. Even if it is just for five minutes, give yourself an escape from the daily stress that keeps you on a leash and roam freely. Put on a jacket and some gloves and go for a walk, or simply spend some family time outside. Play in the rain, or soak in the sun. Put that Netflix episode on hold and take pleasure in forming real experiences. To everyone this upcoming season, may this be the Autumn season that changes your perspective on the importance of nature and that one special moment meant only for you.