Spend one minute observing the cloud formations in the sky. What patterns or shapes do the clouds form? Be creative!
The Nature Deficit is the common phrase used to describe the human costs of alienation from nature.
Barriers to spending time in nature include busy home, work, or study schedules, or lack of motivation. The new digital age also heavily contributes to the lack of going outside. People are shopping online, playing video games, exercising at home, and fundamentally rethinking how they spend their time.
Benefits of Spending Time Outside
Spending time outside isn’t just good for your mind — it’s also good for your body. People report feeling less stressed and feel more motivated to exercise after spending time outdoors.
Here are just a few benefits to enjoying time in nature:
- Better breathing – Air pollution can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory diseases. Indoor concentrations of air pollutants are often two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations. But spending more time in natural green spaces could help lower your risk of respiratory concerns.
- Reduced depression symptoms – Sunlight can often help ease depression symptoms like low mood and fatigue. Light therapy can help treat both major depression and seasonal depression.
- Mental Restoration – The natural world can offer a mental and emotional refuge when you need to unwind and recharge. In nature, soothing attractions for your senses, from the perfume of flowers to the music of bird song, can hold your attention without draining your mental energy.
- Reduced anxiety and stress – Medical experts report that spending time outdoors can lower your blood pressure and reduce levels of stress-related hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
Work Cited
Healthline. “8 Health Benefits of Getting Back to Nature and Spending Time Outside.” 28 May 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/health-benefits-of-being-outdoors.
Maryville University. “Why Go Outside? Ideas for Spending More Time Outdoors.” 5 January 2023, https://online.maryville.edu/blog/benefits-of-spending-time-outdoors/.Prevention.
“10 Health Benefits Of Being Outdoors.” 19 September 2022, https://www.prevention.com/life/g39188119/health-benefits-of-being-outdoors/.