Many people spend workdays indoors under fluorescent lights and in front of computers, then return home to bask in the glow of television screens.
Business Insider recently published an article detailing how research suggests it’s important to make time to get outdoors as well, since doing so is beneficial – maybe essential – for human health. Psychologists and health researchers are finding more and more science-backed reasons we should go outside and enjoy the natural world. So, what exactly are the benefits of spending time outdoors and why should we spend more time outside camping, hunting, or fishing? Keeping your mental health in check is important for more than just having a positive personal life; it’s also a key component to productivity and greatly impacts your professional life as well. Many business owners are now investing in outside areas for their staff to spend time in during their breaks. Landscaping and lawn care experts like those at https://www.lawncare.net/service-areas/missouri/ are seeing a huge boom in commercial clients as a result of this, and are starting work on more and more industrial projects.
While staying chained to your desk and trying to bang out as much work as possible in the work day may seem like the best way to find success, the truth is that stepping outside for a 10-minute walk when you feel yourself losing steam is far more beneficial than having a 3rd cup of coffee. Here’s a few science-backed reasons Business Insider identified to explain why spending time outdoors can help you succeed.
- Walking in nature could improve your short-term memory. Several studies show that nature walks have memory-promoting effects that other walks don’t. In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test, then divided into two groups. One group took a walk around an arboretum, and the other took a walk down a city street. When the participants returned and did the test again, those who had walked among trees did almost 20% percent betterthan they had first time. The people who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.
- Being outdoors has a demonstrated de-stressing effect. Something about being outside changes the physical expression of stress in the body. One study found that students sent into the forest for two nights had lower levels of cortisol – a hormone often used as a marker for stress – than those who spent that time in a city. Among office workers, even a view of nature out a window is associated with lower stress and higher job satisfaction.
- Enjoying the outdoors helps eliminate fatigue. You know that feeling when your brain seems to be sputtering to a halt? Researchers call that “mental fatigue.” One thing that can help get your mind back into gear is exposing it to restorative environments, which, research has found, generally means the great outdoors. One study found that people’s mental energy bounced back even when they just looked at pictures of nature. (Pictures of city scenes had no such effect.)
- It could improve your ability to focus. We know the natural environment is “restorative” – that even applies to your waning attention. In one study, researchers worked to deplete participants’ ability to focus. Then some people took a walk in nature, others took a walk through the city, and the rest just relaxed. When everyone returned, the nature group scored the best on a proofreading task. It would be a good idea for all workplaces to have an outside space for people to go and relax in, maybe with a 2 seater patio set so you can sit, reflect, and recharge.
- You may perform better on creative tasks after being outside. “Imagine a therapy that had no known side effects, was readily available, and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost.” That’s the dramatic opening to a 2008 paper describing the promiseof so-called “nature therapy” – or, as a non-academic might call it, time spent outside. Another study found that people immersed in nature for four days boosted their performance on a creative problem-solving test by 50%.
