Ditch the tech and head out into the great outdoors – it could be the answer to your all your stress and overwhelm

Running and exercise are often seen to be great stress relievers. However, often they can bring about their own unique problems, that, if left unchecked, can add to your current stress rather than alleviate it. That’s why you should ditch the tech.

With the growth of running apps like Strava, Runna and social media in general, the focus on being fitter and faster is higher than ever. This pressure to be constantly performing can take you away from some of the unique benefits of running (headspace, stress relieving and fun).

Running naked

This is where running naked can be an awesome tool to use. Now, before you start stripping off, that’s not the running naked I mean.

Running naked is running without tech – so no Garmin, no Strava, no headphones in, just you, the pavement/trail and your own thoughts.

The idea is to take the stress of running away and literally run by feel. By doing so, you can really hone in on what you need in that moment and run based on that feeling – rather than needing to impress people on Strava, hit another PB on try to hit an arbitrary mileage number.

How to use it

Think of running naked as a tool to use when stressed or when you need to reconnect with your running or when you’re questioning why you run. It can be especially easy to lose sight of that.

So, if you find yourself in need of a run to destress, ditch the tech and head out for a run. Run for as long as you need, at a pace you need. Liberate yourself from yet another metric to track and try to beat. Run for what you need.

The same can be said for reconnecting with your running. If you’ve found you’ve got too caught up on your pace, distance and what others think, maybe it’s time to run naked. You can either set a timer and just run to that or literally run until you think it’s been long enough.

There’s something incredibly liberating about being able to reconnect with the reasons you started running in the first place. 

Give it a go and let me know how you get on.