Outdoors and Mental Health
Summer is a busy time of year for everyone. The warmer weather comes with lots of big plans for adults and children alike. Sometimes it feels like instead of enjoying the sunshine, warmth, and activities, we’re more focused on getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. But, if you can find time to slow down and enjoy summer, you may find it has a large impact on your mental health.
Outside Time and the Brain
One of the biggest reasons to spend time outside has to do with how it helps the brain. Our brains can quickly shift from calm and rested and into overdrive and overwhelmed quickly. If you can imagine a time where you felt intense stress and anxiety, you may be able to picture how hard it was to shift gears to regulate again. When that occurs, we tend to see an increase in the stress chemical in the brain, called cortisol. If you don’t get a chance to reset and lower the cortisol, it can lead to more long-term effects, like getting sick more often, sleep issues, and more.
So, where does outside step in from here to help? If we can get some outside time, there is evidence showing that it can lower cortisol levels. The light and air also give you a boost of serotonin and dopamine (also called “happy chemicals”). In addition, being outside and doing something active has been shown to calm down the part of the brain that becomes overactive due to anxiety and stress.
How to Maximize Outdoor Use
While the benefits of being outside for both kids and adults are very clear, the more difficult part becomes making it happen and getting the most out of those experiences. There can also be an unrealistic pressure on ourselves to do a lot more than what’s necessary. Here are some very basic yet boosting ideas to maximize outside time at the end of your summer:
-Aim for 15 minutes a day: If 30 minutes feels like too much with a busy schedule, see if you can get outside for 15 minutes daily. If you can do this consistently, you will see the benefit adding together over time quickly.
-Prioritize presence over movement, if necessary: It can be daunting to think about being active if it’s something foreign and overwhelming to you. Start small. You may start with sitting outside in your favorite chair reading a book and eventually work up to moving your body more.
-Make it fun: One of the major benefits of having children in our lives is that they are naturally set up for play. If you have kids around, use the outside time as a way to connect positively. It can look like riding bikes, coloring with chalk, blowing bubbles, or even playing tag. If you don’t have kids around, you can still do this! Adults need bikes, jogging, and swimming just as much as kids do.
Getting outside can have tremendous benefits on your mental health. It has been known to decrease stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. We hope that you’ll take the opportunity to engage with the outdoors toward the end of this summer. We also hope that as you do, you’ll notice the impact that it has on your life and make note of it. If you find that the outdoor activities aren’t enough to minimize the difficulties you’re dealing with, it may be time to seek professional help. We’re here at Become You Therapy in Ogden, Utah to help if you need it!
