The Day I Realised, I've Been Living Like a Houseplant
I'm sitting in my whale watching shack (check my grid) drinking in this water view. I get anxious if I can't see the coast for more than a week, and after days inland, being here feels like breathing again.
I've had this strange thought: I've been treating myself like a houseplant since winter started.
This summer we brought our yucca inside. It needed constant tending—mealybugs, then spider mites (DO NOT Google that). At Bunnings, the lovely lady listened to my plant problems and said, 'There's no such thing as an indoor plant.'
She was right- our indoor plant was sort of surviving but definitely not thriving. The moment we put it outside in real soil with actual weather, it became what it was meant to be.
That's when it hit me. For years, I thought I needed perfect conditions to be okay. Perfect waves, controlled environments, everything neat and manageable. I wouldn't surf before work because I couldn't handle messy hair. I'd avoid camping or staying over at boys' houses because I didn't want to look like a mess in the morning.
But when life got properly messy anyway, that's where I found my growth- in all the chaos I'd been avoiding. Do you relate? I've shared some tips below.
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I used to force myself into outdoor activities because I thought I should want them. Now I pay attention to what my body is actually asking for.
Some days it's movement and salt air. Other days it's stillness and green space. Both are exactly right.
Before making any outdoor plans, I do a quick energy check: Does this feel expansive or does it feel heavy? Your body knows the difference, even when your mind is overthinking.
A few things that help:
- Plan adventures during your natural high-energy times - Notice what elements call to you that day - Trust the weather changes—they're usually showing you something When you're aligned with your natural rhythms, being outdoors stops feeling like something you have to motivate yourself to do.
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