Whether it’s warm and sunny or cold and overcast, one author says being outdoors and enjoying Mother Nature for at least 15 minutes a day helps people feel rejuvenated and emotionally healthy.
Through researching her new book, "The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative," Florence Williams said she learned being outside can lead to physiological changes in our bodies.
"I went to many countries all over the world, and one of the first places I went was Japan, where scientists were really trying to measure (the) kind of the physiological changes in our nervous systems and also the psychological changes through questionnaires like, does being outside even for 15 or 20 minutes, does it boost your mood? Does it change your feelings (of) aggravation or frustration?" Williams said. "All the arrows pointed to the right direction; it just makes us feel better."
Fifteen, 20 or 30 minutes outside helps reduce depression, maintain a happy mood, stay connected to the people in our lives, and, importantly, takes people away from their daily grind, Williams said.
The physiological effects of immersing yourself in nature for a period of time are distinct from the benefits of exercising, said Williams, an award-winning journalist and contributor to Outside Magazine.
When in nature, people show better restoration and a better sense of stress relief, she said.
While some may say urban areas lack nature or a quiet place to retreat outside, Williams said if you make an effort to pay attention to your senses and engage in all of your senses, you can reach the stress relieving elements of nature even in the big city.
"Even in your backyard," she said. "If you are making an effort to hear the birds, to maybe look at the patterns of branches in the trees; if you take your earbuds out, put your phone away, you can find grace and beauty and nature, even in the middle of the city."
Even if a nature preserve or arboretum is a close jaunt away, making the time to spend in nature can be a challenging. And for that, Williams has a tip: the most effective way to immerse oneself in nature is putting the phone away and paying attention to what’s around you.
So, while the unseasonably warm weather has people in parts of Wisconsin shedding their winter coats in the 60 degree weather, it won’t be long before the winter winds return and people go back into hiding. But Williams encourages people to get outside year-round.
"Even when it’s wintery, and blustery and cold outside, we still derive incredible benefits; and that’s according to the science, which shows that even if we don’t want to go, and we find the weather sort of unpleasant, it can actually boost our short-term memory 40 percent," she said.
