I don't know if you've noticed, especially for those of us entering middle age, there seems to be a characteristic:
We are increasingly reluctant to go out.
Everyday life has already weighed us down so much that we can hardly breathe—
At work, we have to face competition from younger colleagues, and at home, we worry about our children's education and the health of the elderly…
Occasionally wanting to catch a breath, we find ourselves unknowingly trapped in a "stay-at-home cycle":
Spending weekends on the couch scrolling through our phones for hours;
Relying on takeout for meals and online shopping for groceries, it seems we can meet our basic needs without stepping outside.
But along with this comes various issues, from physical to mental, and even in our overall life state.
More and more people are experiencing back pain, and those with insufficient energy are increasing, leading to children becoming lazy and inactive.
Many say that the longer they stay at home, the more they feel life is meaningless, and their overall state worsens.
I recall a saying I saw not long ago: staying indoors for too long, the "spirit" easily disappears.
Because your body loses the opportunity to connect with nature, missing the occasions to resonate with the universe, thus the impurities in the body cannot be released, and one becomes dull and lazy.
There is a saying in the "Huangdi Neijing": people should merge with the energy of the land, follow the rhythms of the seasons, and receive nourishment from heaven and earth.
So, while the spring is just right, why not open the door, put on your sneakers, and go out for a walk? Let the negative energy dissipate so that fresh energy can flow in.
Going out more nourishes the emotions
A few days ago, a friend told me he got divorced.
He had been with his partner for three years; although it wasn't from school uniform to wedding dress, they had supported each other through the toughest days after starting work.
Seeing that neither of them was young anymore, and with family urging them on, despite having a bit of a fear of marriage, they still got married.
At that time, to ensure a smooth wedding, he borrowed from all his relatives to gather the down payment for a house in Beijing, piecing together the money needed for the wedding.
Who would have thought that after such a grand effort, within six months, many problems arose between them.
His partner complained about his low salary, the lack of future career prospects, and felt he wasn't romantic enough, saying life was too dull.
After one argument, his partner packed their bags and wanted to move out, saying that this life was just too boring;
In a moment of emotional turmoil, he said, "Then let's just get divorced."
Thus, no matter how much he tried to salvage the situation afterward, they ultimately could not escape divorce.
During that time, he lost 20 pounds in a month, and his whole appearance changed,
Spending all day in the newly rented apartment, going from home to work like a walking corpse, his state was so poor that even those around him didn't want to be near him.
I once heard a saying:
Divorce is a matter that is excruciating for anyone; you lose not only financially but, more importantly, the mental strength.
But there’s no way around it; the truths of life must be realized by oneself, and the hardships of life must be endured alone.
After being down for half a year, one day, looking at the spring flowers blooming outside his balcony, he suddenly found the courage to live again.
Not having much money to plan a long trip, he marked out parks in Beijing on the map as his destination, and every weekend, he would go out to absorb nature's replenishment.
Every time he planned a new destination, it felt like adding a ray of light to his dull life.
Although the lands he walked on did not solve the real problems he faced, basking in the sunlight and breathing fresh air made him feel at certain moments:
Living is actually quite good.
In this process, he kept reconciling with himself, continuously dissolving the pain from the past, and gradually rekindling his passion for life.
One day when we met, he told me that he had set his expectations for life too high before, always thinking that he could achieve great breakthroughs in his life, which led him to invest too much effort and expectation into his marriage.
After falling from a height, he realized that life is not as beautiful as we were taught since childhood, and that life does not necessarily get better just because you go to college and get married.
Many people always think that life must create great meaning, but it’s not like that. Life is just living, enduring great pain, and facing countless difficulties while continuing to live.
Then you will find that life has only one meaning:
Just make yourself happy.
Going out more improves health
Shi Tiesheng recorded a story in "Me and the Earth Altar."
At the age of twenty, his legs became disabled, and the hospital clearly stated that this illness could not be cured.
His mother couldn't accept this and searched everywhere for remedies for him to eat, drink, wash, apply, smoke, and burn, trying every method, but unfortunately, nothing worked.
At that time, Shi Tiesheng's temper became erratic; he would suddenly smash the glass in front of him or throw things against the wall.
His mother didn’t know how to handle his emotions and would always think of pushing him to go out for a walk when he calmed down.
"I heard the flowers in Beihai have bloomed; I’ll push you to go for a walk."
Unfortunately, he refused every time.
But his mother was always persistent, always thinking of ways to get her child out of the house, even if it was just to a park to see the flowers bloom and listen to the leaves fall.
A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner once explained the connection between humans and nature, stating that the energy within the human body is constantly flowing, and nature is the best energy field.
Staying indoors for too long causes energy to accumulate in the body, leading to a feeling of lethargy, while contact with nature, sunlight, air, and water—these sources of life—continuously nourish the body.
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, winter emphasizes rest, but spring, in contrast, should emphasize activity.
No wonder many people say: spring is the best healer.
As the ancient saying goes: running water does not rot, and the door hinge does not get eaten by worms.
It is the same for people.
So, when you feel unwell or in a bad mood, why not go out more, soak up some sunlight, or feel the moonlight, hike in the mountains, or take a walk in the park?