Getting Outside is One of the Best Things You Can Do!
There is more and more evidence that something as simple as getting outside and spending time in Nature makes us healthier and happier.
Isn’t that wonderful?
You might feel it instinctively – you “know” you feel better if you’re outside in Nature rather than indoors. But you’re busy at work or with the kids, you’re distracted by technology, and you may live in a city far from green and wild spaces.
We spend too much time indoors – the average American, for example, spends about 90% of their life indoors.
So, is it as simple as just getting outside to give us better health and increased happiness?
Well, not quite.
- A crowded street, for example, won’t work – although you should get a shot of vitamin D just for being outside in natural daylight.
- Green spaces are best – and even better when you are close to water too.
The Benefits of Walking in Nature
Research shows that your stress levels are reduced, your blood pressure is lowered, your heart rate improves and your mood is much more positive, when you are walking outdoors in a green space. It doesn’t have to be a wilderness area – a lovely park, a green environment in a city will do just fine.
By comparison, going outside onto a busy street gives you a break and may improve your concentration when you return inside, but that’s about all.
The concept of getting outside and letting Nature heal us has been around for a long time, and recently, shinrin-yoku, the Japanese concept that absorbing the atmosphere in forests can benefit your health, has added weight to the idea.
Globally, studies suggest that time in Nature can restore your ability to focus, increase creativity, lower the risk of depression and even help you live longer!
How Long Do You Need To Be Outside In Nature?
This is so interesting! When it came to self-esteem and mood, the biggest improvements came in the first five minutes of exposure to nature, according to several studies. So just 5 minutes can have a big impact – that’s great news!
Of course, you also benefit by being in Nature for longer than 5 minutes, but it’s good to know that it’ll still work for shorter times.
Getting outside and walking in Nature gives even bigger benefits if you walk near water.
So, a short trip to your local park can give you almost as much benefit as travelling to a wilderness area!
Other studies show that getting outside and going for a walk in Nature during lunchtime increases your level of concentration and lowers stress and strain for the rest of the afternoon.
Do We Realise It?
But – perhaps we don’t think too much about the benefits we’ll receive if we go outside?
There was an interesting study carried out at Carleton University in Ottawa. To cross the campus, students could either use tunnels, or walk outside on a path next to a canal. (Both routes are the same distance). Of course in Winter, the tunnels were the obvious choice, due to bad weather. But students often used the tunnels throughout the year. Why?
Students said they were happier when they walked outside than when they took the tunnels. Yet most continued to take the tunnels. Researchers surmised that the students under-estimated how much better they’d feel after walking outside. And that’s sad.
So it means we need to make sure we get out into nature more often, so that we keep experiencing the benefits, and therefore we’ll be motivated to continue to do so.
So what can you do to make Nature part of your daily routine?
How To Bring Nature Into Your Daily Routine
My husband and I take a brisk walk every morning as soon as we get up. It’s lovely to get outside before the roads get busy. We look at changes in the neighbourhood, see what’s growing and thriving, and chat. It’s a really nice time.
Going for a walk could be a great way to meet up with friends and catch up. Go for a walk and then have a cup of coffee or whatever, afterwards.
Take dogs for a walk – thy don’t have to be your own. Join a friend, or volunteer at a local animal shelter (they always need help).
If you work in an office environment, have walk-and-talk meetings – normal meetings, but outdoors.
(Of course, if you happen to work for one of the tech giants, you’ll find that quite easy – Microsoft has built treehouse meeting areas for employees, Amazon has plant-filled domes (The Spheres) where employees can “think and work differently”, and Adobe has built a running track on the roof of its London office).
Windows with a view of nature can improve productivity and well-being, and even plants in the workplace can help.
Something else you can do is to introduce small, regular outdoor events that become a habit. For example, you could park further away from work or the shops, and walk there via a green space. Or you could eat lunch in the park.
It’s much easier to organise these smaller things, than to try to set aside a larger chunk of time. And in fact, the more smaller exposures to Nature that you get throughout the day, the more benefits you get, rather than one longer time.
Either way, it’s clear that seeking out natural settings amid the concrete of modern life is well worth doing. You’ll feel happier, less stressed, and healthier. And that’s always worthwhile
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Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.
