8 Reasons Why Spending Time Outside Calms You Down

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If you’ve ever felt better after a day spent by the ocean or hiking in the woods, you may already know what science is now backing up. Whether it’s in your local park or a national park, spending time in nature offers numerous mental and physical health benefits that calm you down.

1. Natural Light Exposure

Exposure to natural light helps regulate your body clock. This means it’s easier to wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night. It can also help people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, even when the natural light outside is relatively dim.

2. Opportunities for Physical Activity

For many people, it’s easier to be active outdoors. Driving to a gym, going inside, and working out might seem more like just another item on a long to-do list than a tempting activity. On the other hand, when you’re outdoors, you can walk, garden, swim, play games, and take part in other physical activities. These are great exercises, but they don’t make you feel like you’re doing another chore.

3. Reduction in Depression

A reduction in depression, anxiety, anger, and other negative emotions have all been linked to spending more time outdoors. At least one study has also suggested that children who have access to nature are less susceptible to mental health conditions later in life. The mental health benefits may, in part, be linked to getting Vitamin D from the sunlight.

4. Sense of Connectedness

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Spending too much time staring at screens can make you feel alienated from the rest of the world. Being out in nature grounds you back in physical spaces. You’ll feel more a part of everything around you and calmer as a result.

5. Better Immune Function

Regular handwashing remains a smart practice, but you can also benefit from exposure to a variety of microorganisms outdoors. Keeping your immune system exposed to many different types of microorganisms that aren’t inherently dangerous helps it continue to function effectively.

6. Improved Respiratory System

Hay fever and other types of allergies can make being outside challenging at certain times of the year for many people, but there’s a lot to be said for fresh air. In fact, it would be a mistake to assume that indoor air quality is necessarily higher. Spending time in outdoor places with good air quality can help keep your lungs healthy, and breathing easily is key to staying calm.

7. Relief from Overstimulation

One of the main features of the modern world is constant stimulation. We have screens in front of us all the time. A notification is always pinging. Getting out into nature can help you slow down and get away from distractions. Spending time just watching birds fly back and forth as they’re building nests or bees buzz above flowers can help you feel more focused and calm.

8. Improved Mental Abilities

Being outdoors doesn’t just give you a break from the constant bombardment of contemporary life. It also can actually improve your overall cognition, including your ability to problem solve. It’s also good for creativity.

Spending even short periods of time outside is clearly calming in many ways. With these in mind, you may want to try to make alterations to your lifestyle to allow more opportunities to be in nature.