Get OUT(side)

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Maybe it was election week stress, but I found myself particularly amped up this week.  As luck (or synchronicity) would have it, I read a fascinating article in the December 2012 issue of Outside Magazine.  The article is titled “Take Two Hours of Pine Forest and Call Me in the Morning: The Nature Cure,” and it’s beautifully written by Florence Williams.

I’ll summarize it, just in case you don’t get to read it for yourself:

When you’re overwhelmed, especially by technology, go outside and absorb some nature.  It will change your mood and calm your thoughts, and five minutes is all you need to achieve this benefit.

Trees or water are the quickest mood changers.

Aimless walks (not driven by exercise quotas) are best.

Walking in the forest (or at least in a park) trumps walking in the city.  It lowers your blood pressure significantly more, and brings you better focus and memory.

Look and listen while you’re taking in nature.  We’re so driven by gadgets and multi-tasking that we rarely listen anymore.  (I tried this on a recent nature walk, and discovered so much more by focusing on what I was hearing.)  You might need to leave your earbuds at home.

If you absolutely can’t get outside, looking at photographs of nature will do in a pinch, and you will still achieve better focus and memory.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

Also engage your sense of smell.  Studies have shown that evergreen oils have anti-cancer properties and can also reduce fatigue.  All you have to do is breathe them in.

The Japanese are researching how longevity is affected by nature and have coined the phrase “forest therapy” to explain why they are herding driven businessmen (sorry ya’ll, maybe it’s cultural, but they aren’t studying businesswomen) into the woods to measure changes in their blood pressure.

So what does all this mean in your daily life?  Here’s an interesting stat:
“Nature-based recreation has declined 35% in the U.S. in the past four decades.”—National Academy of Sciences

Williams suggests building outside time into your daily schedule.  Go for short walks at work, even if you just walk five minutes around the outside of your building.  Eat outside when possible.  Schedule meetings or trainings outside.  If you work from home, get up and get outside for five minutes several times a day.  Spend an entire day outside occasionally.  Gardening is great, a weekend spent at a cabin in the woods is even better.  Short bursts more often seem to yield greater benefits than, say, a two-week trek in the mountains.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

The benefits of spending time outside are amazing:  strengthened immune system, improved cognitive function, and even enhanced creativity.  We’ve always known that we feel better after some “fresh air” or time spent in nature, but now the benefits have been proven and are critical to our good health.

In our fast-paced gadget-driven mania, we are putting our outdoor time on the backburner.  It seems that we need to get it back.  Go on now, get outside! :)

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com