Even with higher temperatures, getting out into that sunshine and fresh air does something for our bodies and souls. It may improve your mood, help you sleep better, and even boost your overall health. It also gives you a much-needed break from feeling stuck indoors.
So, stop gazing longingly out the window and feeling chilled by your AC. Take a break and go outside. Here’s why you’ll feel better if you do.
1. Nature can calm you down
There’s something about greenery that just calms the average person down. Being outside, especially among plants and trees, may help alleviate stress. Combine that peaceful scenery with a leisurely stroll and you may just feel a little less anxious when you return home.
2. Clear your mind
When you feel stuck at work, or even at home looking at your to-do list, a change of scenery can do you good. Instead of agonizing how you’ll get everything done, or staring at a blank screen waiting for inspiration, go outside and wander around for a bit. Being out in nature can help restore your mental focus.
3. A daily dose of vitamin D
The sun is a great source of vitamin D, an essential nutrient for optimal health. Simply exposing your skin to sunlight jumpstarts the process of creating vitamin D within the body. About fifteen minutes outside, in the middle of the day, every day, enables many bodies to produce plenty of vitamin D.
4. The more sun the merrier
Even if you have plenty of windows in your home or office, you’re still never going to get as much natural light as you can get outdoors. And, sitting in the sunshine (don’t forget sunscreen!) can positively impact your mood. Especially if you’re having a hard day, or are feeling down, getting outside can lighten things up.
5. Light may help you heal
While you’re outside adjusting your mood, take note that natural light may also help you heal faster. Studies have documented that individuals healing from surgery, who got out in the sun, experienced less pain and needed less pain medication to heal (however, always consult your physician first). Add in the fresh air and a little light exercise, and you’ve got a great combination for feeling better.
6. It can even help you sleep better
If you have trouble sleeping, you may not be getting enough sunlight. It sounds strange, but the sun helps keep your body’s natural rhythm on track, so you get tired at night. Getting outside in the early morning may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer when it’s bedtime.
7. A refreshing way to exercise
If you’ve been stuck working out indoors all winter and trying to keep your allergies at bay all spring by hiding away, summer is the time to take your workout outside. There are so many fun activities to do in the fresh air, and it allows you to easily switch things up. Maybe one day you exercise by swimming some laps, and the next day you hike at your favorite park.
8. Your eyes are begging for a break
Spending hours at a time looking at screens and focusing only on what’s right in front of you can dry out your eyes and even cause them to strain. Shifting focus to the outdoors gives your eyes time to relax and recover. Instead of squinting at the computer, you’re gazing wide-eyed at the world around you.
9. Put more pep in your step
Sun exposure can actually increase the levels of serotonin in your body. This powerful hormone is not only known as a natural mood stabilizer – it makes you feel happier — but it can also reduce depression and regulate anxiety.
10. Find mental clarity
If you suffer from mental health issues and come across ecotherapy as a treatment don’t knock it. This health treatment sends you out to walk among the trees, and studies have shown multiple benefits. Even gardening counts as a therapeutic way to address your mental health.
Getting outside is your first step to valuing nature
Beyond all the personal reasons you should spend time outside each day this summer, being in nature also helps you to value the world around you. And, the more you appreciate the environment, the more likely you are to make more sustainable choices in every facet of your life. Whether this translates to cutting down energy usage in your home, spending less time in your car, or taking a closer look at the products you buy, each step can help sustain and maintain the nature you’ve been enjoying.
For more information on companies that take a sustainable approach to their products, check out the community of brands at IMPACT COLLECTIVE. Each works toward offsetting their own footprint in areas including carbon, plastic, energy, and water, to waste less.