Lost with Luis: 5 Reasons Being Outdoors is Good for Mental Health
Let’s face it: this past year has been hard. Collectively, we’ve been through a lot. We’ve seen COVID-19 affect our health, jobs, and community. If you feel that your mental health has been negatively affected, you are not alone!
After a year like this, we all need to focus on supporting our mental health. Turns out, getting out into nature is one of the best ways to do this! Here are five reasons why:
1. Nature relieves stress
Our modern world is busy and loud. Many of us combat stress daily, whether it’s in work, our personal lives, or just our physical environment surrounded by city noise and distractions.
But nature? Nature is quiet. The sound of wind through the trees, waves against shore, or a rushing river – these are peaceful sounds.
By getting out of your normal noisy and busy environment, you can appreciate nature’s peace and quiet. Allow yourself this time to relax, find stillness, and de-stress.
2. Nature helps us focus on something bigger than ourselves
You know that awe-inspiring feeling you get standing on top of a mountain or watching a sunset? Pretty unforgettable. This is what nature does: it takes us outside of ourselves for a moment into something bigger. It can connect us to the wider world by appreciating the beauty of nature.
Not to get too philosophical here, but being outdoors and getting into nature can sometimes make you feel small – in a good way. The world around is vast, wide, and unknown. It can get us out of our own head and help find new perspective to our daily issues.
3. Nature helps your physical health
Getting outdoors also supports our physical health. Exercising is obviously good for your cardiovascular health and strength training. But even moderate physical activity has a positive impact on things like reducing blood pressure, moderating stress hormones, and keeping heart rate in check.
You’ve also probably heard of endorphins – those “feel good” chemicals you get when exercising. Well, they are totally real and have a big impact on your mental well-being. Exercise releases these neurochemicals into your body and can help reduce pain and boost pleasure – there’s a reason it’s called the runner’s high!
4. Nature removes us from our distractions
We all have responsibilities, tasks, and an endless to-do list. On top of that, there’s social media, TV, podcasts, messages from friends, news alerts, and all those other constant distractions.
Research shows that getting out in nature can improve our focus because it removes you from all the distractions. It gives your brain a break from everything competing for attention.
Sometimes the best times in nature are the ones where you are somewhere remote and without cell reception. That total disconnect from technology and, therefore, distractions can be just what you need!
5. Nature is the best medicine
Getting outdoors – at least during the summer months in northern climates! – means exposure to the sun. This is absolutely essential to our well-being because it allows our bodies to produce Vitamin D.
This “sunshine vitamin” is essential in regulating our immune systems, reducing inflammation, and supporting bone health. Low levels of Vitamin D have detrimental affects to our moods, with some people experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD, an appropriate acronym!) during the winter when there is less exposure to sun.
Getting Vitamin D is possible through exposure to sun directly on your skin. Make sure to keep it to short periods of time though – burning is not good, and too much exposure can be harmful. Sunscreen and a hat are still a must when getting outside!
Ready? Let’s Get Outside
I hope I’ve convinced you to get outside in nature. Being outside is free, accessible to all, and totally COVID-friendly. You can get outside in so many ways, from a simple walk around your neighbourhood, to full-on outdoor activities like hiking, biking, or kayaking. Get creative with it! Just get yourself outside, okay? Your mental health is too important not to.
