Learning the Value of Time Spent Outside

After you spend time outdoors, whether you devoted your entire day to taking a hike or you simply took a stroll around your neighborhood, how do you feel? Do you feel more relaxed and at peace with your surroundings? Does your internal dialogue and laundry list of to-do’s feel less  overwhelming? Chances are yes. 

Studies indicate that spending time outside, as little as 20 minutes per day, can benefit individuals’ mental and physiological health. Similarly, living in green urban settings has been found to positively impact residents’ health.  When children are regularly encouraged to explore the outdoors, curiosity and creativity are strengthened and academic performance typically improves. The more “Vitamin N” (nature) we get, both adults and children, the happier and healthier we are. 

I will be (virtually) graduating from the University of Puget Sound in May. For my last semester I chose to pursue an internship with Tacoma Tree Foundation (TTF) to learn how a local organization promotes the benefits of being outdoors. I plan to pursue a career at the intersection of outdoor education and mental health, so being able to work with their Nature Explorers program was a perfect opportunity for me. 

However, given the current events of the COVID-19 pandemic, the structure of my internship has drastically changed, as have most people’s daily lives. Before the stay at home order, I helped support the Nature Explorers initiative, TTF’s outdoor education program. Nature Explorers serves kindergarteners through second graders at Boze and Edison Elementary (pictured above) and seeks to get kids outside, expose them to gardening and teach them about native PNW plants. Throughout the course, students work in their school gardens, learning how to grow vegetables and berries, and are also taught mindfulness techniques to help manage their emotions. 

While observing the Nature Explorers program, I was amazed by the students’ exuberance at being outside in the garden. But after all, spending an entire day in the classroom at that age warrants such excitement about running around and breathing fresh air! When I asked some of the children how they feel after spending time outside, one student said “angry.” Very surprised, I asked why and he explained that he felt angry because he does not like having to go back inside. Another Nature Explorer expressed that she feels “calm and blessed” after playing outside. These were feelings I could definitely relate to. 

Despite the Nature Explorers program being postponed due to COVID-19, I hope that the children are still able to safely spend time outside. It was clear how being outdoors directly impacted their wellbeing through our conversations. While time outside directly impacts childrens’ wellbeing, adults also desperately need outdoor exposure. I’m certainly craving changes of scenery, fresh air, and physical movement more than before. Whether I’m walking my dog, taking a quick run through the park, or simply sitting outside to do my homework, the 20 minutes outside always have a remarkable impact on how I feel. Keeping up these habits have become even more necessary during this time. I’m stressed because of COVID-19 and I’m also sad about my college experience ending early and in ways I didn’t expect. Yet getting out in nature helps me cope with this uncertainty, because it reminds me how to appreciate things beyond my control--like spring blossoms, the rich blue sky, a flash of Mount Rainier, and song birds chirping above. 

It may feel challenging to go outside due to current health concerns, but there are ways to get the benefits of being outdoors while maintaining a safe social distance. Although access to public parks and outdoor spaces are limited, we can still walk with friends 6 feet apart or simply sit outside. Biking around Tacoma last week I saw two couples sitting in lawn chairs across the street from each other visiting and having an evening beverage while getting fresh air. This seemed like a fun and creative way to get your daily dose of Vitamin N, while maintaining social distance. Or, the next time you embark on deleting all the spam in your email inbox or your kiddo has reading to do, head outside! 20 minutes scrolling on your phone indoors may not seem like much, but taking those 20 minutes outside with the trees instead can make a huge difference in well-being. 

Being exposed to TTF’s work during this internship and seeing the clear impacts that time spent outdoors has on people has confirmed my desire to help people get those 20 minutes or more of nature every day. While my post-grad plans have been altered by COVID-19, I have found solace in my interests remaining consistent. More than every I see the value of decreasing economic and social barriers to the outdoors, integrating the outdoors into mental health counseling, and creating more sustainable and local food systems that encourage participation from their surrounding communities. Our health is directly linked to our environment, and I want to help more people make that connection. 

When businesses and schools begin to open again and life slowly goes back to “normal,” I am optimistic that we will continue to spend time outside and use it as a break from daily stresses.      

Spending time outside, while it may feel like another thing to-do, can create balance in our busy lives and help us navigate our many responsibilities. One of the silver linings of this unprecedented time has been seeing so many people being active outdoors. While this might be partially due to the spring weather, I think the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order has influenced how many non-essential workers spend their time. For most of us, our already sedentary lives have become even more bound to the indoors. However, being outdoors can serve as a distraction from the great uncertainty and fear we all feel in these trying times and alleviate our associated stress. The next time you are outside reflect on how you feel. See if it changes from before you went outside and if so, how do you feel different? Maybe you too will feel “calm and blessed”; I know I always do. 

Written by Cat Shank