Adventure is not a week’s holiday, a passport, or a bottomless wallet. Micro-adventures are short and easy getaways that can be easily fitted into everyday life, bringing the mental renewal of a great holiday. British adventurer Alastair Humphreys came up with the term: adventures that begin after work, take place on your doorstep, and are free or nearly free. Sunrise hill-topping and breakfast on the return, solo train ride to the town opposite, or overnighter just one hour away from home, these kinds of ideas show that extreme happiness comes in small packages.
Why Micro-Adventures Work for Your Mind
The psychological advantages of micro-adventures are the same as those of extended vacations. The American Psychological Association confirms that brief exposure to nature substantially lowers cortisol levels and significantly enhances mood. Psychological relief from drudgery, not time, is needed. Micro-adventures invoke what psychologists refer to as “attention restoration,” restoring your thinking abilities.
Excellent mental gains:
- Fewer worries in 20 minutes or less outside
- Creative problem-solving is heightened upon departing familiar surroundings
- Exploration- and novelty-induced release of dopamine boosts motivation
In contrast to weeks of advance planning for a mundane getaway, micro-adventures are simple to accommodate. Selecting a Friday afternoon to watch the sunrise on a local summit on Saturday morning is thrilling, but without the worry of intricate planning. Adventure photographer Chris Burkard frequently captures micro-adventures, demonstrating unforgettable experiences within an hour of most backyards.
Read More: Your Brain on Nature: Why You Need Green Space Every Day
Micro-Adventure Ideas That You Can Do This Week
Great micro-adventures are within geographic reach and of interest to you. City dwellers can explore a new ward, while country dwellers can map new back roads. Novelty and presence are the idea, not price or mobility.
Micro-adventure ideas that are at your fingertips:
- Watch the sunrise from the nearest summit within an hour’s drive
- Take the train station or bus station and have adventures
- Pack a light supper and eat in a beautiful outdoor dining room
- Sleep outdoors under the stars in your home or at a nearby campground
- Ride a bike where you would otherwise drive, noting fine details
Example: For Seattle teacher Maya Chen, one of her monthly micro-adventures was taking a ferry ride last month to Bainbridge Island to spend an afternoon browsing bookstores and strolling by the water alone. Cost: $18. “It was like a full vacation reboot,” she says. “I came back refreshed in a way a Saturday can’t.”
Read More: Morning Routines That Actually Work (Backed by Psychology)
Making Micro-Adventures a Habit
Grandiosity gives way to routine. Schedule micro-adventures as appointments—or they’re too tempting to sabotage. Begin with one per month and increase gradually as you figure out what works for you. Maintain an ongoing list of in-town, nearby locales you’d love to visit so decision fatigue won’t be an obstacle to your planning.
Long-term strategies for micro-adventuring:
- Allocate a monthly budget ahead of time for neighborhood ventures
- Bring friends along, but do not dictate their schedules
- Take experience in photographs or words
- Prioritize showing up over creating content
Weekends are not necessarily magical for changing your life. Drive for an hour and a half, spend a night somewhere else, and be prepared to find out—that’s all. Humans spend more time scrolling through social media than they’d dedicate to a micro-adventure, yet somehow still feel like weekends aren’t packed enough.
Micro-adventures ensure that the actual experience is not extravagant or expensive to plan. Home-based escapes and neighborhood adventures enable you to construct a life of novelty, nature, and mind restoration. The path a block from your doorstep, an hour from home, the town you’ve yet to discover, the sunrise you’ve been threatening yourself with, these are yours. Select a micro-adventure for this week. Your head will thank you for the time out.
Read More: The Case for Solo Adventures
