The hustle is both the finest and worst thing about living in New York City. The vitality of the city fuels an unrelenting desire to do better, work harder, and accomplish more. However, it can also mean spending more time hunched over, probably staring at a little screen, and less time savoring the moments with friends, exploring the city, or just going outside.
In other words, goodbye to the wonderful days of Girl Scouting and camping in the Pennsylvania woods, and welcome to lengthy workdays and some gloom-inducing subway rides.
The problem with that is that spending so much time indoors might be detrimental to your physical and emotional health. The majority of us undoubtedly already know that nature provides your body and brain with a serious reboot, and science confirms this.
There are genuine advantages to going on a date with nature. Here’s why you might want to make travel plans for yourself in the near future:
1. You Gain an Improved Mood
Consider how refreshing it is to get up from your desk and go around the block after work. Imagine doing that over the course of a whole weekend, but with a little more vegetation in the area. According to research, those who spend just 90 minutes outside in nature can see a significant, positive change in brain activity. In a similar vein, it has been demonstrated that walking with others increases feelings of optimism. So, take your stride and your bestie to a block with trees when you’re exhausted from the week.
2. Time Seems to Pass More Slowly and Peacefully.
Time flies when you’re out on the open water canoeing or relaxing by the fire with some live music, a beer, and new friends. However, being outside also makes you feel as though you have more time to take in your surroundings. This is especially true when you put your phone down and stop multitasking.
The truth is that multitasking can cause mental tiredness. Therefore, the research shows that switching off from notification overload and focusing on a single activity provides your brain a much-needed respite.
3. You Return Calmer and More Focused.
It goes without saying that spending time in nature can reduce stress while boosting productivity. This is because of the wonderful emotions that nature fosters as well as the aforementioned capacity to disengage.
Vacations also frequently serve as a means of rejuvenation. Studies, however, have found a connection between locations with more green space and healthier levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Those who live close to more trees and grass report feeling more at ease. Even more significant, being around greenery has been connected to living longer.
4. It Facilitates Mindfulness.
It’s likely that you have read about the advantages of mindfulness for mental health. Because you are surrounded by more calming noises, lovely sights, and pleasant scents when you are outside, mindful meditation is a little bit simpler.
Therefore, taking a walk in nature a while paying deeper attention to the nuances you notice in leaves or bark, the sounds of waves breaking onto the coast, or anything else that fills your environment is comparable to the idea of forest bathing. Compared to taking a stroll through city streets, research shows that these sensory-enhancing treks through the woods result in lower blood pressure and fewer stress markers. These Treks in Nepal are a few examples you might try.
Furthermore, the fresh air heightens your breath awareness, making it simpler to develop greater self-consciousness and present-moment awareness of your breathing. The ability to disconnect from the distractions around us and tune into what our bodies actually require is made possible by nature.
5. You Feel That Sense of Wonder.
You’ve already accomplished something when you take in a lovely waterfall, magnificent scenery, or a park awash in lush vegetation: you’ve immersed yourself in the present. New studies show that when we are confronted with amazing beauty, our responses are more charitable and civic-minded. In other words, it helps us feel a little less anxious because it makes us feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Getting your feet wet with a variety of outdoor activities also allows you to see the world from fresh perspectives. For instance, surfing a wave into shore is a different feeling than rock climbing, when you’re perched on a ledge overlooking a valley. Different encounters with nature, albeit equally lovely, make you more appreciative of it and possibly make you enjoy it more.
6. Exercise in Nature is Exhilarating.
Exercise outside can potentially have a greater impact and improve your health even more. In fact, those who work outside of a studio say they love it more, sweat more and for longer periods.
The outdoors also allows you more opportunities to switch up your training, adding fun new components and higher difficulties. In contrast to CrossFit, where you might practice pull-ups, rock climbing allows you to really use them. Similar to how you can employ your back-strengthening workouts when rowing a kayak. Furthermore, nothing like completing a difficult climb or a treacherous trail may improve your confidence.
