- As if the fresh air, sunshine and nature smells aren't enough!
Spend time outside and reap these benefits! Do you enjoying being outside?
It Helps You See
A study done on elementary school students showed that the more time they spent outside, the less likely the were to develop nearsightedness.
Free Aromatherapy
Science tells us we should honestly stop and smell the flowers. Natural scents such as freshly cut grass, roses, and pine can make you feel calmer and more relaxed. Do you spend time outside and smell different flowers or enjoy the fresh air?
Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder
During the winter, shorter days and lower light levels can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by symptoms of anxiety, exhaustion, and sadness. Spending time outside can lessen the severity of Seasonal Affective Disorder, even if it’s overcast or cold that day.
More Creative
They say if you’re struggling with writer’s block, you could try to get off your screen and get outside. Backpackers scored an impressive 50% higher on creativity tests after spending a few days in the wild without any electronics.
Exercise Is Easier
Grass, trees and plants create a verdant surrounding, making it a little less ‘hard’ to exercise. Did you ever realize how easy it is to hike, which is walking after all. A small study done on cyclists had them pedal in front of a green, grey and red video footage and it was the biker in front of the green that felt like he had exerted less energy. He also reported feeling a more positive mood. In turn, grass, trees and plants may give you the psychological energy boost you didn’t know you needed. It’s so nice to move and spend time outside exercising.
It Makes You Healthy
Breathing in phytoncides, also known as airborne chemicals produced by plants, increases our levels of white blood cells, helping us fight off infections and diseases.
Helps You Focus
If you’re having trouble concentrating, try to take a break and get outside to walk near a park or wooded area. Studies show that walking in nature helps restore our focus.
Outside>Coffee
There was a study done and it turns out that spending 20 minutes outside in open air gives your brain an energy boost that’s equivalent to one cup of coffee.
Helps With Pain
Natural sunlight gives us less stress and marginally less pain. There was a study with surgery patients, exposed to high-intensity sunlight who reported less stress and pain, meaning they were able to take less pain medication as well. Going outside literally feels amazing, even when you’re sick, sore or stressed out.
Vitamin D
We all need vitamin D to help us absorb calcium, help prevent osteoporosis, reduce inflammation and more. We only get about 10% of vitamin D from foods like salmon and fortified milk, while a whopping 90% of vitamin D comes from casual exposure to the sunlight.
We’re Nicer
Psychologists say that being exposed to nature helps us to forget about societal pressures and helps us remember and value the things that really matter like relationships, sharing and community.
Do you spend time outside on a weekly or ? Let me know in the comments!