It’s a busy day at school. Your head is down, working on the work, trying to please the teacher, your parents, maybe make your friend laugh. We get so wrapped up in the things we want to accomplish we fail notice:

• Someone who needs a hand with the door
• The incredible way the sunlight is coming through the clouds
• The smile on their server’s face at lunch
• And so much more…

Noticing at Camp

At camp, it’s easy to notice. We have time. Heck… we make time for it. No tech, no comparison trap, no homework… just being yourself and being loved and accepted for that. Surrounded by people who focus on noticing and becoming all the fuller for it.

We know from decades (yikes!) of experience, both campers and staff appreciate time in this type of community above all else. It changes how they approach life around them and inside them. Their internal voice quiets, becomes more positive. Hopefulness and curiosity increase while angst and anxiety decreases.

There are certainly a number of reasons this happens. At camp, we move more, get more sunlight, spend time under the trees and stars with friends new and old.

I think one of the most important drivers of these outcomes is that we begin to notice more around us. We practice a skill that helped humanity not only survive the last 10,000 years but really begin to thrive.

We notice the way our friend is holding their body, the intricacy of a beetle’s carapace, the support of the harness, the smell of the fire. Because we are more fully immersed in our surroundings – both the people and the place – we grow calmer and fuller.

Noticing at Home

You love this feeling at camp… and how do you get more of it at home? Simple… though not easy.

1. Instead of listening to the voice in your head, focus on what others are saying both with their words and their bodies. Ask a question and then at least one follow up question.
2. If you’ve got tech in your pocket, leave it there while you walk around, eyes up, mind sharp, attending to the world around you.
3. Write down a list of two things you found interesting today. Not the things you are supposed to find interesting – only those that interest you. (Extra credit: answer the question: why did you find that interesting?) Tomorrow, write down three and then four…

Yes, it takes (a little) work to notice things. We are so good at putting our headphones in or going through the routines or diving deep into ourselves that it makes noticing challenging. And, like everything else, the more we practice, the easier it becomes, no matter the place.

So, go practice. You’ll do yourself and the world around you a positive service… by making things more like camp. (And, yes, Halloween is a great time to start!)