Much of modern life is spent indoors. From relaxing at home to working in an office, most of us spend a good portion of days inside, only taking short trips outside whenever it’s necessary. Some spend just minutes of their days outside, especially when living somewhere that doesn’t have the nicest weather throughout the year.
Yet spending more time outdoors is very beneficial to the mind and body. Humans and nature share a close connection, something that has almost been forgotten in our modern society. While having a roof over our head is never a bad thing, you may find spending more time outdoors offers a variety of health benefits.
Receive an Energy Boost
Sick of feeling tired and lethargic all the time? You aren’t the only one, as many of us struggle to make it through the day without a few cups of coffee to power us. Yet the simple act getting some outdoor exposure could offer you similar energy boosting effects as a cup of coffee!
One study indicated that even just 20 minutes of outdoor exposure gives the same energy boost as a coffee. Try swapping the coffee for a nice stroll next time you’re in need of an energy boost!
Enhance Your Immune System
Our immune system helps keep the body safe and healthy by fighting off all kinds of bacteria, viruses, and pathogens every day. Yet being constantly stuffed away indoors may limit how well the immune system functions, meaning you could be more susceptible to illness simply from being indoors too much.
The immune system works best when it is worked hard, so because there are more things outside challenging the immune system, it tends to function better through outdoor exposure.
A study in Japan indicated as much, with subjects undergoing a three-day camping trip in a forest. Upon their return, each person had a higher white blood cell count, which are vital compounds for a functioning immune system.
Get Your Recommended Dose of VitaminD
Vitamin D deficiency is a common issue throughout the world but heading outside can prevent this problem from occurring, as exposure to the sun allows the body to soak up our recommended amount of vitamin D.
Lack of outdoor exposure is a leading cause of vitamin D deficiency, as we gain around 90% of it from sunlight. A lack of vitamin D means we’re more prone to sickness, physical pains, fatigue, and possibly even depression, so getting our daily dose is very important for physical and mental wellbeing.
Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that many people unknowingly suffer from. It occurs during the autumn and winter seasons, possibly from a lack of sunlight and vitamin D exposure, leading to bouts of depression and all its unwelcome effects.
Not enough natural light is a leading cause for SAD, so it’s important to go outside during the day to help combat this mental health condition. The sun doesn’t need to be shining either – simply spending time outside during the day can significantly reduce the effects of SAD.
Feel More Soothed and Relaxed by Nature
We can combat stress, anxiety, and even depression through outdoor exposure, as being outside is calming and soothing on the mind. This is linked to a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, and the stress hormone cortisol.
As research from Spa-hotels.ie shows, there are meditative qualities to sitting outside amongst nature. We are generally soothed from being outside, benefiting from an improved mood and reduced stress and anxiety. This allows us to be more focused and creative while forgetting about all the issues of the day to day life.
Improve Your Sleep
Being outside exposes the body to natural light that improves our sleep. This bright natural light offers better sleep by helping regulate the body clock to be more in tune with nature, meaning you fall asleep at a more natural time with less difficulty.
There are various factors that cause a lack of good sleep. Staying up late is a common issue that causes lots of sleep deprivation, while exposure to bright screens from phones and laptops can disrupt the body clock and result in poor quality sleep.
Spending more time outside helps to combat these problems and let the body synch into a more natural sleep pattern that gets us well-rested. So, if you’ve been struggling to get a restful night’s sleep, try spending more time outdoors to try and resynch your body with nature.
Free Aromatherapy
Have you ever taken the time to stop and smell the roses? Most of don’t but taking the time to soak up the smells of nature can be incredibly beneficial to our health. There are countless scents to enjoy outside, from flowers to trees to freshly cut grass, all of which help to calm and soothe the mind.
It’s essentially free aromatherapy! Instead of smelling essential oils that are sourced from nature, you go straight to the source itself to take in all the amazing sights and smells. This generally improves our mindfulness by giving us more appreciative of life and nature.
The scents from plants aren’t the thing to breathe in – the air outside, is usually far less polluted than indoors. A lack of ventilation in your house can lead to all kinds of toxins in the air, so by heading outside we can enjoy the beautiful smells permeating through the fresh air.