Sometimes when life gets rough, and my husband and I get consumed by the stress of life I announce that it is time to go on a picnic. My husband and I have been really stressed lately. My husband has been grumpy and we've just gotten into a bad rut of the same routine which contributes to the stress. That is why I convinced him today was a good day for a picnic at the lake. A picnic out in nature helps us escape life's worries.

Going on picnics has numerous benefits. They can be positive for social interactions, can decrease stress, can give you exercise, and can bring feelings of happiness or relaxation.

Our Picnic Spot: Watauga Lake

My Daughter Set Free!!

Positive Social Interactions

I think picnics are one of the best ways to spend time with friends or family members. Today people prefer to meet up at a restaurant to eat. In restaurants you can't always talk to people because of noise. If you have a lot of people you can't move around to socialize and talk. Restaurants are also expensive.

I love picnics because they are cheap entertainment, you can have whatever food you want, and you can pick spots that are quiet and perfect for socialization. Today we went to Watauga Lake. I love this particular spot because there is plenty of space to run around and it's quiet. It's never overrun with people. My family can socialize and enjoy one another without having crowds of people making it hard to interact. There is plenty to do at the lake: swimming, walking, picture taking, relaxing, eating, and more. Picnics have a wide variety of activities families and friends can do together to have fun and enjoy one another's company.

You Can Choose Healthy Foods

Restaurant foods are full of salt, fat, sugar, and lots of calories. I don't enjoy having family gatherings at restaurants because many foods are so unhealthy and many of my relatives are diabetic or have other health problems. I do enjoy picnics because you can cook at home then bring whatever you want to your picnic spot. Today we had turkey and cheese sandwiches. I also made a few grilled cheese sandwiches in case someone wanted a cooked sandwich. We had grapes, Sun Chips, and a few non-healthy options like Doritos, buttered popcorn, and blackberry cobbler for dessert. The meal we had was way better than a greasy, heavy meal from a restaurant. Cold sandwiches and fruit were refreshing on a hot day and didn't leave me with heartburn like food from restaurants does.

Decreasing Stress and Making People Happy and Relaxed

You can tell from my photos that the spot we had our picnic at was beautiful. Just taking time to enjoy nature and be away from everyday life took away a lot of the stress my husband and I are dealing with. It's hard to unhappy when you are in such a beautiful spot. Our daughter was so happy to be running around that she made my husband and I happy watching her.

Exercise!!!

My daughter ran and ran and ran as soon as I got her out of the car and put her on the ground. For a 20 month old she has a lot of energy. Taking her on a picnic is a wonderful way to burn off some of that energy. I get tons of exercise chasing her around the picnic area.

Such a big world for a little girl

A picnic is what you make it. You can choose to run around and get plenty of exercise or you can choose to relax. My little one always chooses exercise so I'm usually chasing her around. By the end of a picnic at the lake my daughter is ready to crash and so am I!

Sometimes it's good for the soul to take time to enjoy a picnic out in nature. Picnics allow you to take things slow and enjoy the scenery. Both my husband and I are feeling more relaxed and calm after our outing to the lake. The beauty of the natural world and the fun our daughter had really helps remove any stress we felt from a rough week.

photo credit: all photos are my own.