Healing in Nature: How Being Outside Can Help Your Mental Health
It is now officially the Spring season. The time when flowers began to bloom and the weather becomes significantly warmer outside. As the weather gets warmer people tend to spend most of their time outdoors and partaking in activities such as hiking, gardening or playing sports. Spending time outside is not only enjoyable, but time spent specifically in green spaces, such as parks or forests, can also have many benefits on our mental health.
Some of these benefits include:
Improvement in mood
An increase in self-esteem
Reduce feelings of stress or anger
Aside from the cognitive benefits, nature can also help connect you with other people in your community, which could help reduce feelings of loneliness. It can also improve your physical health. If you cannot go to the gym or simply don’t enjoy it, taking a walk outside can have a significant impact on both your physical and mental health. In fact, it’s been said that even a 10-minute walk can improve a variety of health conditions, such as lessening feelings of anxiety and improving sleep.
There are many activities you can do outside as well. Go on a hike in the woods or even just a walk around your home. Or start planning out your garden for the upcoming Summer months. If you want to spend time outdoors and meet new people at the same time, try joining a club or organization, such as on Meetup.com. This site gives you the ability to search for groups near your area and there are plenty of ones that are outdoor-based, such as hiking, biking, skiing, camping and so much more.
Now, say you don’t live near a green space, such as a park or the forest. You can still benefit from being outside and take a walk, run, or just enjoy the sunlight. Take part in a community garden or even bring the greenery indoors! There are many plants that thrive on little sunlight-as long as you remember to water them.
Being in nature has may benefits, for both your mental and physical health and with the weather becoming warmer, there is even more incentive to get outside. So, find an activity you enjoy, grab a friend or go by yourself and enjoy all that nature and the warmer weather has to offer!
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Staff Blogger: Mollie Clupper
Mollie Clupper works for MHA as a Communications and Support Specialist. Using her own experiences, she wants to help bring awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and spending time with loved ones.