6 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Relationship Outdoors By Laura Dexter

Here is an interesting article about the benefits to the outdoors for couples:

Here is an interesting article about the benefits to the outdoors for couples. Enjoy, Sonoma Couples Workshops:

6 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Relationship Outdoors 

By Laura Dexter

Great relationships don't happen overnight. Getting to know someone is part of what dating is all about. Determining what common ground you have that goes beyond things you already know you like to do by yourself. Exploring the beautiful outdoors together helps you get to know your partner by the way he or she reacts to various situations. Couples working together can learn a lot about each other when their interactions go beyond the same four walls. 

1. Interaction without distraction

Put down the technology and take a weekend or more to immerse yourself in a natural setting. The real world is out there: forests, parks, beaches, farmlands and the like. How well can you and your partner communicate without text messages, email, telephones, and the internet? Do you really talk about everything at mealtime and when the television is on? Being outdoors means focusing on the environment around you and the person with whom you wish to share Mother Nature’s glory. 

2. Rainbows and mud

Outdoor interactions are a great way to learn how your partner handles adversity in less than ideal situations. Camping trips or hikes to enjoy the mountains, fresh air and forestry don’t always go as planned. What starts out as kittens and rainbows can quickly turn to mountain lions and mud if the weather turns nasty. Being together in unforeseen situations helps couples determine how well they can see a silver lining in those gray clouds. You also learn to work together to turn lemons into lemonade.

3. Finances. 

Does your partner always want to go out to expensive or middle-of-the-road restaurants or clubs? Couples in it for the long haul must go beyond the standard date night fare and be more mindful of everyday life and those never-ending bills.  Being outdoors for a picnic or neighborhood concert saves money. It also reminds us that with good company and conversation, some of the best things in life are free.

4. Plant a garden or landscape together.

This project allows both people to see if they think alike when it comes to creating a vision, implementing it, and seeing it through to the end. So, you want to buy a house and live happily ever after? When it comes to lawn and garden work, do you and your partner agree it should be done by the two of you or would you prefer to hire a service?  Learning about practical living decisions is part of the relationship process. The more you know, the better you can make suitable choices for your lifestyle … without fighting about it later. 

5. Compatibility.

Traveling together can be harder than you think. Hitting the road and spending days on end with the same person is fine, unless you have different ideas on where you want to go and what you want to do. How much patience will you and your partner need to be around each other 24 hours a day? Couples who travel together, especially during the early months of their relationship, learn how to cope with those little idiosyncrasies that can often lead to major dramas.

6. Healthy Activities.

This is a no-brainer. Being with your significant other when you’re walking, running, bicycling, or swimming lets you develop goals to reach together. One reason the quality of life index ranks high in California is the weather and geography are perfect for outdoor exercise.

In addition to getting in shape or maintaining your physique, outdoor activity helps to increase brain function and decrease stress. Breathing fresh air and simplifying our lifestyles is all about being in the great outdoors. Couples who strive to spend time together outdoors appreciate each other and Mother Nature at the same time. What’s not to like?  

Laura Dexter is an avid hiker and runner who travels around the country, taking part in marathons and  10Ks throughout the year. When she’s not writing about her races or travels, you’ll find her hiking in Colorado with her husband and three children.