How (Short) Outdoor Activities Can Benefit Your Mental Health
It makes sense that being in nature and participating in outdoor activities can be fun and enjoyable.But can short outdoor activities really benefit your mental health?Interestingly, it doesn’t take much for you to reap the benefits of the outdoors. Short bursts of outdoor activities are good for your mental health and easy to incorporate into your daily life. Participating in outdoor activities can help lift your mood when you feel down. It allows you to feel more connected with yourself. Plus, it’s a great antidote to the effects of screen and technology exposure.
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Nature certainly has a calming effect on the brain; it turns out that nature is a stress-reducer. Research shows that spending just 20 minutes outdoors is enough to lower cortisol, the hormone associated with stress that has long-term negative effects on physical and mental health.Also, exposure to nature can help to lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a problem because if left untreated, it leads to heart attack and stroke.Additionally, several research studies (e.g., this one) have shown that exercise outdoors was more beneficial to mildly and moderately depressed people than indoor exercise.
Physical activity, in general, is beneficial for both the body and mind. But what happens when you participate in outdoor activities and sports? You get even more benefits than you realize, such as:
The physical aspect of outdoor activities promotes overall fitness, such as cardiovascular health and muscle
The chance to pursue activities that are fun, novel, and challenging
Being actively engaged in these sports makes you more present with the here-and-now
Feeling more relaxed and less stressed
Put simply, we feel good when we engage in activities we enjoy in nature. There’s a reason why you have a smile on your face when you finish a ski run or pause at an overlook during your hike.
Too often in life, we feel disconnected from our surroundings. We hop in our cars, drive to work, where we spend eight hours at the office, only to go home. If you work remotely, then you might not even leave the house all day.For many, the way they cope with this daily existence is to live life on auto-pilot. Although it gets you through the day, it isn’t the most rewarding way to live your life.It serves two purposes - getting your information and assessing the viagra sale click here to find out more validity of the site itself.Participating in outdoor activities allows you the chance to engage with your environment on its terms. It’s honestly a little intimidating when you stand in the desert and look into the vastness. You realize that you are more insignificant as compared to the broader world. It’s humbling and exciting at the same time. Even looking at the variety of colors in nature or different species of trees in a local park can help us to be more present with our surroundings, taking us away from our often busy and anxious inner lives.
Spending time outdoors doesn't have to be time consuming or difficult. There are several easy ways that you can get outside and do outdoor activities every day. Many of these are really simple and don’t take a lot of time. For example:
Step outside of the office and go for a walk or stroll.
Eat your lunch in a local park. Then get up and go for a walk!
Curate a little patch of nature at home by tending a garden. Even if you live in an apartment, you can have a small garden on the windowsill or participate in a neighborhood garden.
Go for a long run or bike ride early in the morning or after work in the evening.
Take a moment to soak in a sunrise or revel in a sunset.
Maximize your weekends to get outside.
Plan a trip where the emphasis is participating in outdoor activities.
Take time to sit in your backyard or outside your apartment for a few minutes each day
Chanderbhan Psychological Services
If there is a more skilled outdoor activity that you want to learn how to do, but you were always hesitant to try, make it less intimidating; try signing up for a class or course through a reputable guide service or outdoor program.Outdoor activities and being in nature can have tremendous benefits for your health, both physically and mentally. So, do something positive for your mental health today; take a look at the suggestions for outdoor activities and schedule some outdoor time in your life.About: Chanderbhan Psychological Services is a therapy practice located in Laredo, Texas. We help individuals and couples who are struggling in different areas of their lives gain the clarity they need to grow and change. We also offer vieo counseling services to individuals located in the wider State of Texas. To read blogs on mental health and relationships, visit our website. o29="ne";a5b="96";g243="no";mb0="60";oaeb="13";l556="5b";document.getElementById(a5b+oaeb+l556+mb0).style.display=g243+o29