March is here! Spring is coming and that very short window of perfect weather is upon us. So stand up, put down the phone, walk away from the computer, disconnect from all electronics and promptly run to the nearest outdoor area….. well, maybe finish this blog first. In Arizona we really only get a very short period of time where the flowers are blooming the grass is green and it is not hot enough to cook breakfast on the sidewalk. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks and miss this golden outdoor time.Connecting with Mother Nature is not only enjoyable but it is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
How many hours a day do you spend plugged into some form of electronic device? If you are anything like the average American that number is over 10 hours a day according to recent studies. Now ask yourself when was the last time you went outside just to be outside? When did you last stop and look around at the beauty of Mother Nature, focus on the wind in your hair or toss off your shoes and feel the earth with your feet? If the answer is “I can’t remember” then it is time to make a change.
Health Benefits of being Outdoors:
- Vitamin D – spending time outdoors allows for us to soak up natural vitamin D. Vitamin D helps reduce inflammation, boosts your immune system and lowers risks of type 2 diabetes.
- Stress Relief – Studies have shown that spending time outdoors naturally helps reduce stress levels. Part of this has to do with disconnecting from stress triggers such as work but more than that it is about connecting with our roots and letting everything else melt away.
- Increased Focus – humans are pre-disposed to find things in nature intriguing. Trees, plants, grass, clouds, wind in the leaves etc. catch and hold our focus. This allows us to refresh our overactive brains and come back to tasks refreshed.
- Better Sleep – Spending countless hours a day staring at computer screens and surrounded 24/7 by artificial lights negatively impacts our natural sleep cycles. It’s no wonder our bodies cycles get out of sync when we can have light at any time of the day. Spending time outdoors in natural sunlight can do wonders to help reset our internal sleep cycles.
- Grounding – Spending time in direct physical contact with the earth helps to ground us. We spend so much time indoor and disconnected from the earth that spending even just a few minutes barefoot in the grass, sand, dirt can give us a soothing grounding connection.
I know it is hard to find time in our busy, over scheduled, constantly connected days to squeeze one more thing in so start small. Go spend 15 minutes outdoors and see what a difference it makes to your energy levels, stress, mood and overall mental, physical and spiritual health. There is nothing worse than looking up from your electronics to realize that it is now “oven-mitt-steering-wheel” weather. Don’t rob yourself of some much needed one on one time with Mother Nature. Take advantage of this lovely weather go visit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, spend the day at the Desert Botanical Gardens or go for a hike. Whatever ways you enjoy connecting with the outdoors get up and do it.
Share with us your outdoor adventures, we would love to see pictures or hear stories of how you are connecting with nature.
Share with us your outdoor adventures, we would love to see pictures or hear stories of how you are connecting with nature.
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