Health Benefits of Nature

Health Benefits of NATURE

Access to the outdoors can be pretty limited these days - whether it’s due to living in urban areas or the short distance between our door and the car. And let's be honest it's YET another thing we know we "should" be doing, right?

This is why I love providing simple suggestions to incorporate the things you WANT to, so you can experience as many benefits as possible.

Do you deal with stress, difficulty focusing and or struggle with feeling satisfied or happy at times? You're not alone. And you may be surprised to hear that getting outdoors can help with those things and more...

Lowers levels of stress (Thompson et al., 2012)
Reduced symptomology for depression and anxiety (Beyer et al., 2014)
Eliminates fatigue (Kaplan S, 1995)
Improve cognition for children with attention deficits (Taylor and Kuo, 2009)
Reduces inflammation (Mao GX et al, 2012)
Lowers blood pressure (Bum Jin Park, et al 2010)
Improves mental health and sense of well-being [Alcock et al., 2014, Frumkin H 2001; St Leger L 2003; Thompson Coon J 2011]

There are only 2 things I don't appreciate about Dallas...the ungodly heat and the lack of easy access to nature. It requires time and intention to get myself into green space and lord knows it ain't always green. But it is always so worth it.

So, if you're stuck in the middle of a concrete jungle, I feel ya - here are some of my suggestions:

When weather permits, open doors and windows as much as possible
Drive with windows down
Head outside for some breathing during stressful moments
Get outside first thing in the morning for a quick 5min walk or just to sip your tea
Walk where you can, parking further away during errands or even trekking to the grocery store from your house (if able!)
Plan vacations and free time around outdoor activities - we're all a weekend away from someplace beautiful