Most people seem to be aware of the importance of nature and realize that spending time outdoors is a good thing. It is almost just a natural instinct.

The importance of nature makes sense as we as humans developed with it. In fact, when looking at the grand scheme of things humans have only lived indoors for a small fraction of our existence.

Unfortunately, our western lifestyle has us spending more and more time inside and away from nature. In fact, on average Americans spend roughly 90 percent of their time inside.

While you may want to get outdoors after being at work all day, chances are when you see your couch at the end of a long day you will just want to stay there.

This is totally understandable, but you really should consider just stepping outside for just a bit at any time that you can.

How Being Outside Affects Your Mental Health

However, simply being outside in nature is calming. It actually changes the way that your brain works so that you cannot help but relax. This is great for your microbiome. When you are stressed, blood flow becomes restricted to all areas of the body including the brain.

Taking some time to get out and enjoy natural surroundings will help to calm your body down, which allows you to think more clearly and relieves stress. This is extremely beneficial to your mental health.

So, the next time that you are feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed, simply go outside and take some deep breaths. You will be amazed at how much better it will make you feel.

You may still be thinking that you simply do not have time to get more nature in your life. However, the importance of nature for your mental health is, in fact, so big that you should at least try.

Here are some quick and easy ways that you can add some nature into your life and improve your mental health. These ideas can take as little as five minutes or as long as a few hours. It is really all about being aware of the importance of nature and knowing that being outside is good for you.

Thus, you should take the time to make sure that you spend some time outside whenever you can.

5 Minute Ideas

If you have just five minutes to spare a day, there are a few things that you can do to add some nature to your life. First, simply get your feet in some grass. Take your shoes off and let your feet meet the grass. Even if it is just for a few minutes, it will totally be worth it when it comes to your mental health.

As you are rushing from place to place, take a pause and just enjoy your surroundings. This pause can go a long way in helping to clear your head and relieve stress, thus improving your mental health.



If you simply cannot get outside for even just a few minutes, make sure that you at least look out your window. Take a 20-second glance out your window whenever you can. This will help keep your eyes from getting tired and the natural colors outside can help to lower your heart rate and make you feel calmer.

30 Minute Ideas

If you have thirty minutes, take a quick walk. You can do this before work, during your lunch break, or after work. Whenever you find yourself with some time to spare, taking a walk outside is a great way to relieve stress and to get some exercise.

If you are not up for a walk, just sit outside on a bench or in the grass. Just simply being outside is often enough to help you clear your mind, thus improving your mental health overall.

Conclusion

When it comes down to the importance of nature for our mental health, there are many great reasons why you should be spending more time outdoors. Going on a walk can be one of the best things that you can do for your health.

Just make sure that you are protecting your feet while you are out and about in nature. Even if you do not want to go for a walk, simply sit outside and enjoy the sunlight or take some time to go out and look at the stars at night.

All of which will improve your mental health overall.

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