How Outdoor Time Improves Your Mental Health

(Photo : Holly Mandarich on Unsplash)

Most of us realize, even if it's only on a subconscious level, that spending time outside is good for our mental health. Some activities are certainly more rewarding than others, but any outdoor time is valuable.

What are the specific reasons why this is the case? And how can you get more value out of your time outdoors?

The Many Ways to Enjoy the Outdoors

One of the most appealing aspects of getting the benefits of spending time outside is that you can get them in many different ways. Straightforwardly, you can engage in specific outdoor activities, such as hiking, kayaking, or playing common sports.

But you can also enjoy the outdoors in and around your home, depending on the amenities accessible to you. For example, if you have an outdoor bar, you can enjoy drinks with friends on the weekend—and perhaps even watch a game while you're doing it. If you have a flower bed or a vegetable garden, tending to it also counts as outdoor time. Even sitting on your front porch can give you some of the benefits of being outside.

How Outdoor Time Improves Your Mental Health

These are the specific ways that spending time outside improves your mental health:

• Immediate mood changes. Most people immediately detect a change in their mood when they step outside, even if it's only a slight one. If you're feeling good, you'll feel a little bit better. If you're feeling bad, you might take a step closer to feeling neutral. Getting that first breath of fresh air and feeling the sunshine on your face can instantly elevate your overall feelings.

• Stress reduction. Spending time outside is also shown to reduce stress and minimize feelings of frustration or anger. The next time you feel frustrated or angry about something, take a walk outside; in 20 minutes or less, you'll probably feel at least somewhat better.

• Physical exercise. Outdoor time is also beneficial because it gives us more opportunities to physically exercise. Physical exercise is incredibly good for your health, mitigating the risk of certain physical ailments while simultaneously reducing your stress and improving your mental resilience. Granted, not every outdoor activity counts as exercise, but even light activities like yard work can be incidentally beneficial.

• Fresh air. Even if you make a conscious effort to improve your indoor air quality, outdoor air quality is likely better than whatever quality you've achieved in your home living space. Fresh, cleaner air is better for our lungs—and better for our minds.

• Socialization. Being outside also provides you with more opportunities to socialize with others. That could mean participating in specific outdoor activities with groups of people, inviting friends over for a backyard barbecue, or just being outside in the neighborhood so you can say hi to the people who live around you. Socialization and strong friendships are crucial for good mental health.

• Nature connectedness. Some lines of study suggest that humans are naturally biophilic; in other words, we have a strong, innate love for the natural world. If this hypothesis is true, feeling more connected to nature could help us feel greater feelings of contentment and satisfaction.

Practical Tips for Getting More Outdoor Time

Unfortunately, not all of us feel free or capable of getting the outdoor time we want. If you feel you belong to this category, here are some practical tips for getting more outdoor time:

• Improve your yard/lawn/balcony. First, consider making improvements to your yard, your lawn, your balcony, or anywhere else you might spend time outside. If you're prouder of the space, if you have access to comfortable furniture, or if you have better activities to partake in, you'll be much more motivated to use the space to its fullest potential. These upgrades cost a bit upfront, but they can keep you outside and entertained for years to come.

• Find great parks nearby. Most people are perfectly comfortable walking to a park up to 1.3 miles away and perhaps even further. Chances are, there's at least one park within this distance from your home location, even if it's a small one. Make it a point to explore several parks nearby so you can get a better feel for the facilities around you. You might fall in love with one and make it a regular stop.

• Attend local meetups. If you're interested in getting outdoor time through shared activities, consider attending local meetups. If you visit your local parks department or do some searching on social media, you should be able to find groups focused on various sports, athletic activities, and more passive outdoor activities like bird watching. Experiment to see what you like best—and meet lots of new people.

• Make friends with outdoor enthusiasts. Finally, try to make friends with more outdoor enthusiasts. If you have a large social circle full of outgoing nature lovers, you'll have a constant feed of invitations for fun, exciting outdoor events. When you feel demotivated or lazy, your friends can give you plenty of incentives to get off the couch and enjoy yourself outside.

As long as you take the proper precautions to protect yourself, there are no real risks associated with getting too much outdoor time. Accordingly, you should spend as much time as possible outside so you can reap the full benefits of your favorite activities.