By Karen Espig
According to Alastair Humphreys, micro-adventures are “an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap—yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.” He should know he coined the term. Let’s find out more about this trend and why you, too, should be planning these mini-escapes on a regular basis.
It has been proven over and over that disconnecting from work, technology, and the daily grind is good for our mental health, which in turn supports our physical health. Not everyone can take vacations due to time or budget constraints. However, even if you can’t, these mini-adventures are still a terrific idea during the long months in between.
By changing up your routine with these mini-breaks, you open up the possibility of experiencing novel experiences and learning things about yourself that might even move you in a different life direction! It can be a quick mental reset that you can achieve ad-hoc with little investment of time and money.
When Can I Go?
The short answer is anytime, anywhere. This type of break can be as simple as taking the long way home, going for a walk or cycling after work.
Have you been eyeing those rental scooters? Time to hop on and try it out!
The essence of the concept is that they require minimal planning, and the duration is up to you. You could implement adventures of an hour or two every week!
What Can I Do?
The options are quite literally limitless and are highly personal. They can include just you, your partner, a few of your besties, or the entire family. Activities done with others bring you more than a reprieve from the stresses of life/work; these experiences provide everyone with memories, laughs and possibly new skills, and on a more frequent basis than the once-a-year big vacay.
The spirit of this type of break is also newness and taking yourself out of your comfort zone. It can help you discover what you truly do or do not like.
Maybe deep-woods camping was the best time ever, or maybe not. Perhaps taking a cooking class was a disaster, or you’ve discovered your inner chef. The point is you won’t know unless you try, and short commitments can be low-risk, low-cost, and completely doable.
If you really want to embrace this concept, you could create a larger project of small challenges or adventures, such as swimming in all the lakes in your region, taking a day trip with a different friend once a month, or just sampling a pastry in all the bakeries in your city.
Undoubtedly, there are events, festivals, workshops, and local tours close to home for you to explore. Community centres, libraries, museums, and tourist offices are fantastic resources to help you discover what is available nearby. You can attend a lecture or try a new sport or activity.
Spending a day or two as a tourist in your home or neighbouring city can also be fun. There are often free tours available. It is an excellent opportunity to learn and socialise and maybe discover a new perspective on the place you live in.
Make Them Eco-Friendly
If taking a flight or a gas-guzzling road trip makes you cringe, micro-adventures are just the ticket. You can do a cycling or strolling day trip with a packed picnic. Download some tunes or podcasts on your phone or join a group—solo or social, you decide. Take a ride on your local transit to areas you’ve never been to or a commuter bus to another town.
Build Resilience And Learn About Yourself
You can choose from different types of experiences, and part of what Alistair suggests is doing difficult and maybe even unpleasant stuff from time to time. An ambitious hike or other physical activity might have you exhausted and aching at the end but inevitably satisfied that you pushed yourself and learned something about your capabilities and limits.
Maybe you opt for a camping trip, and it ends up raining all night—it can still be awesome. It is about new experiences, not perfect ones.
If public speaking terrifies you, how about signing up for a workshop to try to overcome your fear or to at least just understand yourself better? What you learn might be surprising.
Or, how about something as simple as getting up before dawn to watch a sunrise at a local park or lookout? Bring the dog and a thermos of hot chocolate to round it out! Take a photo and text it to a friend, or save it as your desktop wallpaper to provide further inspiration for stepping outside your routine.
Whatever your lifestyle or budget, there is always room for quick and simple escapes. It is a matter of choosing to value the importance of these breaks. Whether it’s only for an hour per week or a 3-day break once a month, micro-adventures are accessible, affordable, and a healthy addition to your life.
The good news is that you can start right now!