Stop what you're doing and go outside
Yes you read that title correctly, stop what you’re doing and go outside. Many of you know it’s beyond important to go outside and get some sun and fresh air; and before you say it my Californians I know it’s slightly smoky outside WEAR YOUR MASK! It being mildly smoky should not stop you from getting outside to get your fresh air. Just like COVID shouldn’t stop you, laziness shouldn’t stop you and nor should depression!
I know for me when COVID first hit and we were instructed to stay in I felt like my world shattered right before my eyes. I was so used to getting up at 4:30am and hitting the road by 5am feeling that fresh morning dew on my skin, then enjoying my walk from bart to the gym and my even longer walk from hayward bart to my home. I was used to being out everyday enjoying the sun or the rain.
So when all of that just came to an abrupt end I felt the depression coming on. Because being indoors all day fuels anxiety, insomnia, and decreases your vitality by 40%. The thing is, staying indoors all day doesn’t just affect your mental capacity but it also affects your physical as well. Sitting indoors all day makes for bad posture, lower back pain, and weak glutes. There are plenty of down sides to staying indoors all day multiple days in a row. You throw off your circadian rhythm, your appetite changes, and you decrease your lifespan. It costs you nothing to go outside for 20-30 minutes a day. Your mind and body will actually thank you for partaking in some ecotherapy.
I could go on and on with the benefits of getting outdoors because there are so many but i’ll keep it short. The number one reason to go outdoors is the vitamin D you get from the sunlight. Vitamin D has been said to help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body. Yes you could spend money and take a supplement but why not just go outside for free. Being outside also restores mental energy, improves mental health, short term memory, concentration, and vision. It’s a great stress relief, and it boosts the immune system, sharper thinking and creativity. Lastly, sunlight helps regulate your internal body clock, you know that thing in charge of when you eat, sleep, and your mood.
So if you had to take one thing from this blog I hope its the importance of being outside for at least 20-30 minutes. It’s been proven at the University of Glasgow in Scotland that those who exercised outdoors in nature had a lower risk of poor mental health than those who exercised in the gym. So GET YOUR BUTT OUTSIDE! Enjoy a hike, enjoy a walk, enjoy the park and enjoy your life outside. And if you’re scared because we are supposed to be social distancing, get creative like muah and buy an easy setup tent, grab some food, a blanket and a loved one and hit the beach you can social distance and still enjoy the outdoors. I’m Coach Mimi and I hope you enjoyed my rambling.
PS. take September’s wellness goals as a challenge and care for yourself more.
- Mianni Brown
https://time.com/4306455/stress-relief-nature/ https://www.health.com/condition/depression/bad-to-stay-inside
https://www.businessinsider.com/11-reasons-you-should-go-outside-2014-4
