002 | Why Adventure Matters

1. Health & well-being

1. Mind/Mental Health
2. Sense of Purpose
3. body/physical health

2.  Risk & resiliency

1. Parenting/Child Development
   1. Education and learning Frameworks
   2. Last Child in the Woods: Richard Louv
   3. How comfortable are parents with risk? balance with safety
   4. Accomplish Risk=Confidence booster
   5. unplanned scenarios- experience in the moment
2. Mindset:
   1. keep adventure simple
   2. journey vs. destination
   3. UK Study: Kids Need Adventure  Data on kids and parents desire to experience more adventure
   4. Edge of the Map (Book):  “Sport of climbing is misunderstood…they don’t have a death wish, but a wish to live in a way that few understand.”  “It’s a type of alive- not like a party, but like being one with the world. It’s being in tune.” -Johanna Garton (quoting Christine Boskoff) 

 3. Connection

1. most authentic person, alone in the woods experience (reference to OnBeing podcast with Mary Oliver: the trees were her people)
2. Stillness
3. Challenges experienced along the way
4. Moment that breeds confidence, power
5. Experience hard things together
6. Shared experience builds trust and common will

Data Resources:

• WHOorg shows US  in top 3 for highest rates of depression and anxiety along with China and India.
• Data from U.S. Bureau of labor and Stats, the average output has increased 400% since 1950
• Women who don’t take vacations are 3x more likely to be depressed and anxious
• Constant sitting—puts you at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity…
• Decision fatigue- willpower and reasoning ability drain… Study on Israeli judges- declined to 0% likely to grant parole when not taking breaks, bc easiest and safest answer.
• Nielson Poll 2018 found- 71% who regularly take vacations are satisfied with their jobs, 78% who take vacations at least one a year are happier and more satisfied with their lives
• Framingham Heart Study showed Men who vacationed regularly were over 32% less likely to die from a heart attack and for women who vacation regularly, that figure jumps to 50% less likely to die from a heart attack.
• June 2019: survey, nearly 90% of North American employees claim that taking a lunch breaks helps them feel refreshed and ready to get back to work.
• Ernst and Young showed for each additional 10 hours of PTO taken by employees, their year end performance ratings improved 8%
• Jennifer Deal, the Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership says “research clearly shows that taking a break in the middle of the day for lunch is a recovery period, allowing employees to come back refreshed and reinvigorated for the second half of the day”

Interesting case study:

Citing a famous study, Scott notes that Israeli judges were more likely to grant paroles to prisoners after their two daily breaks than after they had been working for a while. As decision fatigue set in, the rate of granting paroles gradually dropped to near 0% because judges resorted to the easiest and safest option—just say no. Decision fatigue can lead to simplistic decision-making and procrastination.

Kids Need Adventure: A study of 1500 parents and 1103 kids in the UK show the deficiency in kids experiencing adventure

• 50% of kids had never taken part in any adventure sports.

• 50% of kids had never been camping.

• 41% of kids had never taken part in a scavenger hunt.

• 44% of parents played outside as a child more than their kids do.

• 38% of parents said they’re more protective of kids than their parents were.

• 40% of parents said they don’t have time or money to do adventure activities with their kids

Great articles used as sources for above, on the power of taking breaks:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201704/how-do-work-breaks-help-your-brain-5-surprising-answers

https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/4-scientific-reasons-why-vacation-is-awesome-for-you.html

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60627/11-hidden-benefits-taking-more-vacation