Month: May 2025
Want to Get Out of a Rut, Have More Fun and Add Spark to Your Life After 50? Try This!
The first line of my friend and former business coach Colleen’s recent email hooked me. She wrote: “No, I’m no Indiana Jones, but I did step out of my comfort zone and try something completely new last Saturday.” By the end of the day, after trying something new, Colleen felt like an excited little kid who’d rediscovered her sense of adventure and who couldn’t wait to tell everyone the tales of her day.
Doing Something New
Even though she doesn’t think of herself as an “outdoorsy” person, she’d signed up for a 4-hour adventure in geocaching at a nearby city park. (And if you’re like me, and don’t have a clue what geocaching is, it’s an outdoor treasure-hunting activity where participants use GPS-enabled devices to find hidden containers (geocaches) at specific coordinates, often containing a logbook and sometimes small trinkets for trading.) You can learn more at https://www.geocaching.com/play.
It wasn’t so much what Colleen did, but the fact that she did something new. Taking that step to sign up for this new adventure made her realize the power of micro-adventures which can bring new-found fun and joy into our lives. Colleen defines micro-adventures as “little steps into the unknown that can help us reconnect with ourselves.”
What Are Micro-Adventures About?
Micro-adventures can reignite our curiosity, get us unstuck from our same routine and out of a rut, add spark to our life and help us rediscover how much fun it is to try something new. Most likely, we’ll meet new people, go to new places, try new things and in the process add fun, joy, excitement and discovery into our life – without overwhelm and a lot of commitment – one micro-adventure at a time.
Colleen was so impressed by the positive impact this one new adventure had on how she felt that she realized she could help other women over 50 experience the joy of their own micro-adventures. So, she decided to create a simple self-study program that she could make available to all of us.
How to Find Micro-Adventures
She documented the entire process she went through to find resources and ideas for her local micro-adventures and what she did to plan them. This documentation process helped her create an easy self-paced, online program (which can be easily downloaded) that provides a step-by-step roadmap to creating simple, fun experiences that bring fresh energy into our lives. Colleen’s program includes:
- A Quick-Start step-by-step guide.
- A Comprehensive Planner to design, plan and track your micro-adventures.
- A Curated Adventure Vault of over 90 adventure ideas to inspire you.
- A Resource List which is a collection of go-to sources for finding new adventures.
- And she also included an AI Adventure Guide where we can learn how to use ChatGPT to uncover and plan unique experiences.
And Here’s How It Works
Step 1: Download the planner and start with the Starter Map.
Step 2: Use the planner to brainstorm and schedule your micro-adventures.
Step 3: Try your first adventure and track your experience.
Step 4: Keep the momentum going – one small adventure at a time.
By the end of the program you’ll have your first three micro adventures planned and completed which will help you reignite your curiosity and discover what excites you. And, fortunately, Colleen has made this program available to more of us by deciding to price it at an extremely reasonably cost of $27.00. I know I’m really excited to get started!
So, if you want to:
- shake up your routine or
- if you feel restless, uninspired or unsure of your next step
- or if you want to do more exploring, are a life-long learner and want to experience some low-pressure excitement
- or if you crave more adventure, connection and joy in your everyday life,
Micro-Adventures just might be your cup of tea. Here’s a link to the Micro-Adventure program if you want to get started.
She Helped Me, Too
And by the way, I would never have been able to start my YouTube channel without Colleen’s wonderful help. Colleen is a corporate refugee turned entrepreneur who at the age of 50 was laid off. In 2018, after 20 years of marriage, her husband passed away, and she once again found herself having to recreate who she was.
The next year she launched a business to help women from the typewriter generation launch their own businesses (which is when I found her) and her commitment to helping women over 50 start their own businesses doing something they love remains as strong and unwavering as ever.
Her 3rd Act Collective is an online business school for women over 50 as well as a community-based resource. The women in her program – who come from a variety of interesting career backgrounds (including teachers, nurses, private chefs) – meet with her each week over Zoom to learn how to create different types of online businesses.
Colleen also has a regular newsletter called “Third Act Field Notes” where she shares information on making money online as well as advice on how to build a new life and start over in our third act. You can learn more about her work through her website, her Facebook page, Tik Tok or Instagram.
Also read, Reflections on My Challenge to “Do New Things” in January.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you heard about micro-adventures? Would you try one? Do you think you would benefit from doing something new?
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Nature Therapy: Why Time Outdoors Is Vital for Seniors’ Well-Being
Heather, a 62-year-old mother and grandmother, faced overwhelming grief after the sudden loss of her teenage daughter. Despite years of trying antidepressants and talk therapy, she still struggled with anxiety, fatigue, and emotional emptiness.
In 2018, Heather tried something new: she committed to daily time in nature. She began walking regularly through a local park, paying attention to the breeze, the trees, and the birds. Over weeks and months, her mind became quieter. Her body relaxed. She smiled again. She later said that nature became “my therapy.”
Heather’s experience isn’t just inspirational – it’s supported by science. More and more research confirms that spending time in nature can dramatically improve physical health, mental clarity, emotional well-being, and even longevity – especially for seniors.
What Is Nature Therapy?
Nature therapy, sometimes called ecotherapy, refers to intentional time spent outdoors to support healing and wellness. It doesn’t require wilderness hikes or elaborate retreats. Simple activities – sitting in a garden, walking a tree-lined path, listening to birds, or planting flowers – all count.
Also read, 10 Ways to Spend More Time Outdoors.
For older adults, nature therapy is gentle, free, and easily adaptable to any fitness or mobility level. It can be done alone or socially and doesn’t require special equipment. And best of all, it delivers measurable benefits backed by science.
Why Nature Matters More as We Age
As people grow older, they often face more physical limitations, social losses, and emotional changes. Retirement can bring isolation. Health conditions can limit movement. Loved ones may pass away, increasing feelings of grief or depression.
Nature acts as a stabilizer. Studies show that even short periods of outdoor exposure can lower blood pressure, improve immune response, lift mood, and promote better sleep. One large-scale study found that people who spent just two hours a week in green spaces were far more likely to report good physical and mental health (White et al., 2020).
Also read, If Green Space Acts Like Medication, What Is the Dosage?
How Nature Affects the Body and Brain
Nature therapy helps regulate many of the body’s systems – from hormones to the nervous system to brain chemistry. Here are some of the main mechanisms:
1. Reduces Cortisol (Stress Hormone)
Cortisol helps us respond to stress, but chronic elevation can lead to fatigue, poor immune function, high blood pressure, and weight gain. A 2019 study showed that just 20 minutes in a park or other green space significantly reduced cortisol levels, even in people who were otherwise sedentary or stressed.
2. Boosts Immune Defenses
Trees and plants release phytoncides – airborne chemicals that protect them from microbes. When humans breathe them in, they stimulate production of natural killer (NK) cells, which destroy viruses and prevent cancerous growth. A study in Japan found that time spent “forest bathing” boosted immune cell activity for up to a week.
3. Increases Mood-Stabilizing Chemicals
Sunlight and sensory experiences in nature stimulate the release of serotonin and dopamine – brain chemicals responsible for regulating mood, reducing anxiety, and supporting restful sleep. Nature also quiets activity in the brain’s fear center, the amygdala, making us feel safer and more balanced.
4. Improves Memory and Focus
Cognitive decline is one of the greatest concerns for older adults. A study by the University of Michigan showed that participants who walked in nature improved their memory and attention span by 20%, compared to those who walked in urban areas without greenery.
Emotional and Social Benefits for Seniors
Beyond biological effects, nature also nurtures emotional resilience. It helps seniors reconnect – with themselves, with others, and with the rhythms of life.
- Reduces feelings of isolation: Joining a garden club, walking group, or simply sitting in a shared park encourages social interaction.
- Offers a sense of purpose: Tending a plant or watching birds return to a feeder can give daily life meaning.
- Encourages mindfulness: Nature naturally draws our attention outward, helping calm repetitive or anxious thinking.
Many seniors report feeling “more alive” after even brief time outdoors – a feeling echoed in Heather’s personal healing journey.
Simple Ways to Practice Nature Therapy
You don’t need a forest to benefit from nature. Here are some accessible, senior-friendly practices:
- Take a 15-minute walk near trees or flowers.
- Sit outside with a cup of tea and watch the clouds.
- Tend to a few herbs or flowers in pots.
- Join a gardening, birdwatching, or walking group.
- Open windows for sunlight and fresh air if mobility is limited.
Even 10–20 minutes a day can deliver measurable health benefits over time.
Final Thoughts: Nature Is a Healing Partner
Heather’s transformation – from grief and disconnection to peace and renewed vitality – wasn’t a miracle. It was nature doing what it’s always done: helping us restore balance, inside and out.
Modern life often pulls us away from the natural world. But science now confirms what many people intuitively know – that time outside lowers stress, improves sleep, boosts the immune system, and helps us feel emotionally whole again.
For seniors especially, nature therapy is a low-risk, high-reward approach to aging well. It’s a way to stay connected, not just to the world around us, but to the strength and wisdom within.
So, take a breath. Step outside. Feel the wind, notice the sunlight, listen to the trees. Healing might be closer than you think.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you experienced nature the way Heather did? How did it affect your mood, health, or perspective? We’d love to hear your story. Share your experience in the comments below — your journey may inspire someone else to step outside and begin healing too
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