James Black https://wildernessredefined.com 2m 422 #outdoors
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
As a lot of us move to working from home and limit ourselves from going out as much, we risk losing the benefits of spending time outside.
During the summer last year, I went on a camping trip with some buddies for a weekend. When I came back I felt more refreshed, happy and hopeful than I had all through the pandemic. I decided to research the science behind spending time in natural environments to see if it was just me or if the studies supported my suspicion that nature is really good for you.
Spending time in nature can impact on your physical wellbeing in a number of ways. Being in natural environments can be a great way to break out of a sedentary lifestyle and get some exercise. But you don’t need to work out in the great outdoors to get some of the health benefits.
For example, you can actually lower your blood pressure by just sitting in a forest – more so than if you had been sitting in an urban environment. Plantlife in forests also release organic compounds that can increase our white blood cell production, improving immunity.
Natural environments are also beneficial to your mental health as well. Green spaces are great for helping to reduce stress levels as well as increasing our general mood. Spending time outdoors has even been used by medical professions as a cure for anxiety.
Mental health management is a very personal thing and what works for one person might not work for another. However, there are a wide range of people who have benefited from spending time in the great outdoors.
If you want to read more about the benefits of spending time in the great outdoors, then you can read my full article about why you should get out into nature more. There’s lots more information in there about the research that supports these benefits and some helpful tips to get outdoors more often.
So if you want to find out more about the great outdoors, the research behind the benefits and how to go forest bathing check it out!
About the Author
James Black runs Wilderness Redefined a website with the aim of promoting sustainable enjoyment of the wilderness and making the great outdoors accessible for all. His love for the great outdoors was inspired by adventures in the Scottish Highlands. In his day-to-day, James works as an economist for a highly regarded research institute
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