Explore the great outdoors – from the Live Well, Work Well newsletter
Spending even just a few minutes outdoors each day can reduce muscle tension, regulate sleep, improve work performance, and significantly improve your physical health. Experiencing the outdoors, especially green spaces, can also provide mental health benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression, lower stress levels, and an overall improved mood.
Incorporating fresh air into your daily routine can seem difficult, but here are some tips to help you spend more time outdoors this summer.
- Find time throughout your day to get outside. Try taking a walk or doing a similar activity before or after work. Or enjoy your lunch outside during the week instead of eating it at your desk. If you work remotely, you could also take part in a virtual meeting or have a “walking meeting” with teammates in a quiet outdoor area with less background noise. Focus on finding small ways to get some fresh air into your daily life.
- Take your workouts outside. If you normally run on a treadmill, consider going for a jog around your neighborhood. Plus, doing bodyweight or free weight exercises in your backyard or at the park can give you the same workout benefits as a gym workout, but with more time outside.
- Focus on the quality, not the quantity, of your time outdoors. When you’re outside, listen to the sounds around you and take note of your surroundings. Are the birds singing? What color are the flowers? Being outdoors intentionally can help you feel more connected to nature and increase the benefits you get from fresh air.
- Find someone to explore with. Starting a new habit is much easier if you have someone to do it with. Consider joining an outdoor activity with your partner or a group of friends.
- Bring nature indoors. Even if you can’t be outside for long periods of time, you can still bring a little bit of the outdoors into your home. Consider buying a few houseplants to place around your home or creating an indoor herb garden.
Spending time outdoors improves your mental and physical health, so take advantage of the long summer days and get outside.
