Intensive Decompression: Brain Reset by Sleeping in Nature | Hacker News Reader

Intensive Decompression: Brain Reset by Sleeping in Nature

hackersguidetowork.com

69 pointsakonan36 comments

I remember with crystal clarity only a few moments in my life - almost all were outdoors - waking up in a hammock just as dawn cracked, floating in Windermere as dusk set in, amazing memories.

My children's births I also remember but the amazement and awe is overlaid with stress and worry - so yes, get outside if you want your heart to relax.

I haven't experienced the latter, but I bet it works :)

I one travelled to Ushaia Argentina and then simply picked a random hill to climb. It was about 3000ft and had snow on top in summer. I was under a lot of stress because my wife was in town and had an injured back. I contemplated if I should go all the way up (there were no paths) but decided I will probably never have the opportunity again. When I finally made it up I could see into a valley without any human development. It was one of the best moments of my life. Since this day I go out into nature more often and also spend a couple of nights outside alone. I always come back clearheaded.

I did the same thing, also in Ushaia. I wandered away from the water towards the hills. Soon, I found myself heading up the snow to the top. No-one else around.

I've experienced this crystal clarity a few times in my life. Once, lying with my dog in the yard as a teenager, and another time driving over a hill and seeing a beautiful sunset. I experienced an almost overwhelming joy and love of life.

I am not a religious person but I think these are known as "Peak Experiences". [0]

I also experience "ASMR" [1] and maybe these things are related.

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_experience

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_res...

Very interesting! Thanks for the links!!

Thanks for the link to Peak Experience.

Two years ago I spent six months driving across the country, camping and hiking in national parks. I experienced several instances of what I described as "transcendent ecstasy", which sounds like a similar phenomenon.

What I really appreciate about spending time in the wild – hiking for me – is how it allows me to step back from my everyday life. Go to some place, eat, sleep, that's not much but it fills your whole day and it's a very satisfying experience.

I kinda have this feeling that I always have to fight for happiness in the city whereas it comes naturally in the wild.

Just watched this the other day on Netflix. http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/happypeople/

Takes you deep into Siberia to the winter campsites of trappers. Harsh life but very beautiful.

Thank you for this! Looks really good! Will watch it later :)

tl;dr: go camping once in awhile.

I see that you are getting downvoted, it may be beacuse you don't add to the discussion, but to be fair the article doesn't offer more than the above line.

You are right, there's nothing more to it. It's really simple :)

Maybe it sounded harsh, it's not, your sibling comment explains it better. I'm also (almost) in my 30s ;)

I don't think it's harsh at all :) I'm too (well) on my 30s and I've been thinking about these things a lot. I'll write a blog post on the subject later, because simple vs complex solution thing intrigues me.

Thank you. I am in my 30s and I read blog posts by many super intelligent but perhaps sheltered younger individuals that seem to just be discovering life's insights .... that are second nature to me. My family has always gone camping, for instance.

And stay offline.

no doubt - I purposely find campgrounds without cell coverage... if a network is there, I'll use it.

Believe it or not, there are still lots of areas in the Sierra Nevadas that meet this qualification - ~4hr drive from Silicon Valley.

I agree, but I think that there are different stressors in our lives. Work stress is hard to deal with, and I deal with it by sailing. However, there are stressors when sailing: the safety of the vessel, the safety of my crew, etc.

True and those stresses experienced while sailing are more true than the ones experienced at work. You don't stress about deadlines when you are in front of the bear :)

I'm personally not into camping at all, but I think the point is to take some time to do something you love. I personally love to ski, but even a day alone playing video games can do the trick, it's more about getting away from work as completely as possible.

This was my little experiment to battle stress and pressure at work. How do you manage stress?

Get on a bicycle and just ride somewhere (but nowhere in particular). Forces my mind out of deadline mode, since I can't know when I'll be back or when I'll get to where I'm going. Also, by removing myself from familiar surroundings, helps me forget things (like work) associated with them.

Those are great tips!

I could see myself building a habit of wandering around unknown parts of the city.

Where do you live?

I can't do that. The 'unknown' parts of my city are unknown for a reason...

Helsinki, Finland. The city is pretty small, so there's not actually that many unknown places. And every place is safe to go.

The danger you face on a bicycle is from motorized vehicles. You're not going to get mugged on a bike during the daytime unless you are very unwise. Ride a bike that isn't obviously valuable, don't wear fluorescent colors, don't stop to sightsee, don't stop for conversations, and don't expect your lock to help you if leave your bike unattended. In poor areas riding a bike is an indicator that you are poor or that you have lost your driver's license (which is another indicator that you are poor). As long as you don't contradict that impression you'll be fine.

For instance, when I lived near LA I would regularly bike all over, including through areas such as Compton.

Avoid work!

Seriously.

For me, it's motorcycles / motorsports. Something that requires concentration so intense that it is impossible for your brain to stress about anything else.

"You start riding, and the world disappears. It's magic, and you unleash it with your right hand."

http://florin.myip.org/blog/engines-joy

If you have children, take them out of school for a day and go skiing.

Change meaning of stress, why stress, what is stress?

Can't you just sit there at work, drink your tea, enjoy the view outside the window, the birds, concrete, clouds and noise. Listen how people speak, phones ring, listen to this music, composition of life.

Problem? Turn around and walk away. If problem is not solved by then, then try different strategy. Experiment. Failures are essential to success.

More of life will not help you get away from life.

Also, I did not considered one important factor, you enjoy stress and have opinion that it is must be rid off. >:D

In my 20s (quite a while ago now) I would run home from work a couple of days a week, roughly 70 to 90 minutes at a decent clip for a recreational runner. That tended to burn off a lot of stress.

There's been a lot of research in the past decade on the benefits of greenery: http://www.gwern.net/The%20Melancholy%20of%20Subculture%20So...

Thanks for the link! It sure looks like I need to read more on this subject

We didn't evolved to sit in an office 9-to-5.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com