After spending a lot of time indoors, these past two years have highlighted how being in nature is integral to our wellness. A study conducted at Cornell University showed that doing activities outdoors can allow for stress relief and improved health. The outside world is also a space for therapeutic activities, making you happier and more relaxed. Sue Stuart-Smith’s The Well-Gardened Mind highlights how tending to a garden, for instance, can be a way to sustain our innermost selves. Stuart-Smith argues that gardening is more important to our cognition than we think, as green nature has a direct antidepressant effect on humans. Just as nature is all about regrowth and renewal, we can find these in ourselves by spending time in it. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the ways we can connect to the healing power of the great outdoors.
Take more walks
Instead of spending a few minutes on a treadmill in a gym, you can get your
exercise right outside your door. According to the president and chief science
officer of the American Council on Exercise, Dr. Cedric Bryant, walking improves
cardiovascular health and blood pressure, reducing the risk of certain conditions.
Exposure to sunlight also does wonders for your health and mood by giving you
more Vitamin D, which helps strengthen your immune system and boosts your
serotonin levels, keeping you more stable.
Cultivate a garden
Growing a garden or taking care of plants can take your mind off the stress and
struggles of everyday life. In Rootbound, Alice Vincent recounts how caring for
plants helped her heal during a tough spot after a heartbreak. The experience
taught her a lot about how to let go of control and develop patience, allowing her
a moment to slow down from a hectic life. Gardens also provide a lot of healing in
ways that aren’t purely physical. Scientific American found that it wasn’t just
hospitals themselves aiding in patients’ healing, but the gardens within them as
well. Patients found solace in the greenery, which reduced stress and pain levels
while restoring emotional health. You may not have a lot of space for a full-blown
garden, but even just having a few plants to nurture can give you a sense of
purpose to carry you from day to day.
Spend time with friends
Nature isn’t only a space for restoration but for nurturing relationships as well.
You can learn a lot about your loved ones by disconnecting from distractions like
technology, and going outside allows you to really connect without the barrier of
a screen. Socializing comes with its own benefits; it lowers depression and
anxiety, even improving your brain's health and functions. You can do many fun activities with friends and family such as hiking, walking, or camping. They don’t need to be related to exercise either. In our article ‘6 Great Reasons Why a
Picnic is Good for You’, we talk about how having a picnic outside can give you a
chance to speak with loved ones in a relaxing environment, and how it helps
enrich and deepen your bonds. Rather than spending ages thinking of a
restaurant to dine in or which coffee shop has the strongest wi-fi, choose to go al
fresco instead.
Spending just a few minutes outdoors can make you happier, healthier, and more
connected with others. Picnics can be a great way to achieve all those things
with the people you love most, and Komorebi has what you need to make the
experience all the more beautiful.
Article written by Rhian Jackson
Exclusively for Komorebi
