What This City Girl Learned From Camping – And How It Pertains To Business
Updated: Oct 1, 2021
Written by: Lorraine Schuchart, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When people used to mention "camping," my retort was that my idea of roughing it was going downstairs for coffee. But when my husband and I decided we wanted a different way to travel, we bought a Jeep and prepared to go camping in new and beautiful places and spaces.
Camping allowed us to go off the grid: to disconnect from the news coverage of fires and floods and commemorations and COVID. And I learned some meaningful lessons from our first two trips that I probably would not have learned any other way.
1. Turning off and tuning out doesn't mean you don't care. Sometimes it means you need to put your own oxygen mask on before you can help others with theirs. I was so deeply saddened by all the tragic things happening around the world that even if I only tuned in once a day I often struggled for hours to refocus.
⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. Being in nature is a natural stress remedy but sometimes it requires an extended stay. My daily 30 minutes outside had not been sufficient for months. Within a few hours of setting up camp, I felt the kind of mindfulness and peace that had eluded me.
3. Giving your brain some serious downtime enables it to quiet down enough that you can hear your heart speak. The physical activity of camping, from setting up tents to cooking and cleaning, got me out of my head. And when I got out of my head, I felt my heart speaking. I realized that there were some things I was doing in my life because I thought I should, not because I wanted to. And I decided to stop doing them.
As I journaled about these lessons, I decided to apply them to my business. And this is where they took me:
Getting off the grid would not have been possible if I didn’t have a team. And when each member of our team takes time off, they can also be off the grid to relax and recharge. Growing a team is the only way a business owner can ever truly turn off. Even if your team is just one person, it makes a huge difference.
Rest and relaxation are critical. Business is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to prioritize rest and time off rather than trying to fit them in.
Being able to acknowledge we need periods of rest and time off without apology is brave. It's a bit rebellious.
Nature is nurture. Even a walk each day is a start.
Finally, let your heart help guide your path forward. So often we get caught up in the "shoulds" that other people put forth. By tuning out the messages that don't serve us, we can instead focus on what is important.
My friends and family still can’t believe I enjoyed camping. But I’ve realized that growth comes from getting outside our comfort zone. And I intend to continue to step outside mine.
Lorraine Schuchart, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lorraine Schuchart, APR is a disruptive brand strategist, award-winning copy and content writer, and accredited PR consultant. Her agency, Prosper for Purpose, specializes in the art of designing and scaling purpose-driven brands to impact the world and the bottom line. The company holds the prestigious B Corp Certification, meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. Lorraine works with coaches and consultants, socially conscious companies, and nonprofit organizations.
