Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors
Spring is right around the corner (come on already!), so what better time to discuss the myriad of benefits of spending time in nature. Schertz and Berman (2019) studied this empirically and found that spending time in nature can boost your working memory. Cognitive benefits aside, other research suggests that time spent outdoors can improve physical health. As most of us tend to be active when outside, engaging in physical exercise or active hobbies such as running, walking, hiking, gardening, bicycling, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, etc., it makes sense that being outside could have physiological benefits. Being in nature has been associated with reduced cortisol levels (stress hormone) and can improve levels of Vitamin D, which many of us are deficient in and don’t even know it (see https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency for more information on this topic). Spending time outdoors has been associated with sleep improvements, too, as well as psychological benefits. Burns and colleagues (2021) found that more time spent outdoors was correlated with reduced chance of developing major depressive disorder and improved sleep.
This all sounds wonderful, right? I would love to spend an hour or two outdoors each day, hiking or walking with my dog, paying attention to the feelings and sensations of the outside (sights, smells, sounds, and the feel of the wind on my skin), while simultaneously reaping the cognitive, physical, and psychological benefits. However, if you’re anything like me, this time does not exist in the tightly packed weekly schedule with minimal free time. So, how can we put this research to good use? Here are a few suggestions I hope you’ll try sometime in the next few weeks:
Try to take one call outside (work, personal, family) and walk around your home (yard, parking lot, driveway, etc.) while you’re on the call.
If you have kids or pets, incorporate some outside time into a typical routine. For example, eating dinner outside is a huge hit with my family (less for me to clean up in the kitchen, too - double bonus!).
During your free time (weekends, evenings), see if you can combine social interaction with outside activities. This could involve walking on some of the Greenways/hiking trails with a friend, partner, or family member, window shopping/browsing in an outdoor shopping mall, packing a picnic and a blanket and heading to a local park, dining out at a local restaurant with outdoor seating (or getting to-go and taking it to a park/green space), or attending an outdoor sporting event.
Spend some time gardening or doing yard work (light raking, weed pulling, mowing the lawn, trimming bushes/hedges, planting flowers/herbs) if you have a yard and/or search for volunteer opportunities at a community garden near your home. Many schools, religious institutions, and community parks/playgrounds also often solicit help from volunteers to maintain the grounds or beautify the space.
A longer-term goal may be to plan a vacation that involves outside time (e.g., visiting the beach, hiking in the mountains, camping, etc.).
These things do not need to break the bank, either. I encourage you to be creative and to tap into all that your community has to offer. If you are struggling for ideas that work for you, you may be successful in asking loved ones to help generate additional ideas. We at Hearth Counseling & Consulting are always here to help, too. If you feel that you are struggling with mood, anxiety, stress, or sleep issues, please contact us. I hope you can find more time to be outside, reaping the multiple benefits of time in nature. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!
Written by Alli Irving, PhD