4 Benefits of Getting Outside
Getting outside is not always an easy task. Life gets busy, we become tied to our devices, and for those of us still working from home, we may go entire days without leaving the house at all. As summer begins to dwindle and the weather starts cooling off, getting outside may be increasingly more difficult. But as difficult as it may feel some days, getting outside is imperative for living a healthy life.
Also read: 5 Tips for Ending Mental Illness Sigma
Before we get into the benefits of getting outside, let’s quickly talk about how to work it into your busy schedule. Depending on your workload, lifestyle, or location, getting outside may look different for you. For some, it could look like going for a 5 km walk in the morning before you start your day, but for others, it could look like running down the street to grab a coffee. Focus on what works for you as well as what is safe to do. Tell someone where you’re going, wear sunscreen, and stick to well-lit areas. This could look like eating your lunch outside, going for a walk with a friend, or working outside. The goal is to get creative and to focus on what you can do instead of focusing on the limitations of what you can’t do.
4 Benefits of Getting Outside
1. IT CAN HELP TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY
From social media to constant work emails and zoom meetings, technology can bring with it a ton of stress and anxiety. Firstly, getting outside can sometimes remove us from our stressors so we can catch our breath and take a minute. Secondly, doing activities such as light walking can help to lower cortisol levels (which are our stress hormones) [Source: Healthline]. The reality is that stress is very common for so many of us. According to The Global Organization for Stress, “75 percent of Americans experienced moderate to high-stress levels in the past month, stress is the number one health concern of high school students, and 80 percent of people feel stress at work.” Additionally, according to The American Institute of Stress, "48 percent of people have trouble sleeping because of stress” [Source: The Recovery Village]. Finding ways of managing stress is imperative for living a healthy and fulfilled life.
2. IT CAN HELP IMPROVE SLEEP
Getting outside for some fresh air can also help to improve sleep. Despite what hustle culture may tell us, getting adequate sleep is necessary for healing our bodies and gaining the strength we need to conquer the day ahead. However, things such as artificial lights and the blue lights from our devices can seriously impact our circadian rhythm and our production of melatonin. Combine that with the increased stress levels that so many people are facing, and we see that folks are facing a ton of obstacles when it comes to getting quality sleep. Spending time outside can improve our sleep by helping our internal clock understand what time it is, can help to relax us, and possibly even tire us out to help us fall asleep quicker [Source: Rtor].
3. IT CAN HELP YOU FOCUS (AND IMPROVE MENTAL CLARITY)
When the afternoon slumps hit, or you find yourself getting too distracted to finish an email, sometimes a couple of minutes outside is exactly what you need. With countless devices and notifications vying for our attention, it can feel difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. Not only does getting outside act as a change of scenery (which sometimes is the number one thing we need) but it can also help you focus or potentially improve your mental clarity.
4. IT CAN HELP PROMOTE CREATIVITY
I spoke about this in my blog post about storytelling, but since it’s important, I’d like to touch on it again today. According to a longitudinal study conducted by NASA, we’re 96 percent less creative than we were as children. However, a study conducted by Stanford researchers revealed that 81 percent of participants were more creative when they were walking than seated [Source: Inc]. Getting outside, throwing on an uplifting podcast or some happy music, and moving your body a bit can help you become more creative.