It is officially SUMMER! That is what the calendar says, right? The kids are out of school. We have heard for years that we are all becoming “coach potatoes”, right? The more technology, the busier we get, the busier we get, the less time we spend enjoying nature and the great outdoors. Funny, I always thought that it would be the opposite.
Did you not that there are REAL health benefits from spending time in nature. I don’t mean just opening the sun roof to your car and absorbing the sun. I mean taking a walk or sitting outside and just breathing in the fresh air.
There are awesome environmental benefits that are provided by trees and other plants. BUT do you take advantage of the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits available from nature?
Did you know that, “people today spend up to 25 percent less time enjoying nature than people did just 20 years ago.”
Remember how you felt after you took a break and spent a few minutes outside? Didn’t you come back energized and ready to conquer the next challenge? Statistics have shown that people that walked through an arboretum performed 20% better in memory and attention tests then those that walked on a busy street. Okay, so maybe there isn’t an arboretum outside your home or office BUT there is probably a park close by. Studies show that long stretches in nature have resulted in dramatic increases in our creativity and problem solving skills. Nature also improves our mood, and generosity.
Here are some of the other benefits from being out in nature:
- Regain physical energy
- Reduce anxiety
- Reduce muscle tension
- Decrease stress hormones
- Heighten immunity
- Lower heart rate
- Decrease blood pressure
- Better cholesterol
Why does all of this work? Because we are actually programmed to spend time relaxing and resting, especially in natural environments. We are meant to spend a substantial amounts of time outdoors so we can experience our Creator and restore our spirits.
A long walk, gardening, sitting by the ocean — any activity let us disconnect from the crazy and get reconnected to our hearts is a plus mentally, physically and spiritually. Nature is God’s reset button for our minds, bodies, and spirits. If you’re spending all day indoors, you’re missing the restorative power of nature.
How much time do you spend outdoors each week?
Hope Wissel 