Get outside!
How many times were we told this during lockdown?
Governments, mental health specialists, other medical professionals.. everybody was advising it.
But, why?
Being out in the fresh air significantly helps with both mental and physical well-being, and it is something that almost any person, any where can do.
A health benefit that is accessible to all - free, easy, no prep required. Just step outside and breathe in that fresh air.
Appreciating now why my parents were "forcing" me to get out of the house
I feel like when I was younger I didn’t fully appreciate what a privilege it was to be forced to go outside and play.
My books were inside (apart from when I’d secretly drop them out of my window so that I could find a wee nook outside to continue reading!!), the TV was inside, screens were inside, warmth was inside - living in Scotland, roughly 90% of the time, we’d be running out in to the wind/cold/drizzle of rain!
As an adult now looking to one day become a mother, my mindset is that my children will be practically living outside during the day, and I’ll be right there enjoying the benefits with them!
Actively seek time
When was the last time you walked outside for pleasure and not just as a means of travel to arrive at a destination?
We are so busy with life that it can be hard to factor in these sacred times, but I would encourage you to really look at your daily schedule and see where you can work it in. Is there a time that you’re normally sat glued to your phone, and I do this too so I am not judging anyone, that you could just choose to put that phone or tablet down and get that fresh air and those steps in?
I understand that going out for a walk at the drop of a hat is not always possible. You may have children to look after, somebody you are caring for or you are physically unable to walk, but if you can, is there anything else you could be doing outside that you are currently doing inside?
Hidden opportunities
On a nice sunny day, my mum will run an extension cable outside and take her ironing board out to crack through the never ending pile of laundry - a task that needs to be done but one that she doesn’t want to sacrifice that rare glimpse of the sunshine for. She’s done it since my sister and I were little and still does it today, and I love it so much that I do it too!
That morning cuppa that you have before the mayhem of the day begins, could you take that outside for a few minutes and just enjoy that sun shining on your face and get a few gulps of the fresh morning air?
That book that you can’t get your head out of, could you grab a blanket and move your reading out in to the garden for a while?
If you’re looking after children, could you either get them out for an adventure walk, take them to the park or even out in to the garden for a scavenger hunt? …Find 5 things that are green, something that smells nice, 3 different types of flower, etc
And if for whatever reason you physically cannot leave your house or your room, could you move to where you are closer to a window; feel the sun on your skin, open up windows and let the air flow through the house, switch your head off and watch the clouds floating by or concentrate on the ways that the trees and plants are swaying in the wind.
Fractal patterns
Fractal patterns is a fancy way of saying a recurring or repeating pattern, and many studies have found that fractals are a good tool to really help reduce stress levels.
Nature is filled with these repeating, or fractal, patterns - in swaying leaves, floating clouds, the rising and swelling of waves, patterns of plants and flowers - and it is known from a lot of research that our brain responds very positively to them, finding it can actually reduce stress by up to 60% !
So even if you can’t get outside, get yourself to a window and watch the trees swaying or the clouds passing by.
Sometimes we don't want to do what we know is good for us
I am writing all of this to remind myself too.
There are often days that even though I KNOW the benefits and KNOW that I would feel so much better if I got myself out that front door, I don’t - and then I feel even worse!
Even though it can feel like such an effort to get out, I have never regretted going for a walk or a run after having done it, I have been so thankful that I have!
My head is always clearer, I have a new optimism that had before been pushed down and smothered by low mood - and that’s something that I need to constantly remind myself of.
Let's support and encourage each other
The lighter and warmer days are almost with us, let’s encourage and remind each other of the benefits of this simple, free opportunity that we all have to support our mental and physical health - it’s not going to cure every problem we have, but it will certainly help with how we react, view situations, and will help us nourish a deep practise of gratitude for the every day simple gifts.