Nature Is Part of Our Nature: A Reminder of the Benefits of Being Outdoors

Spring has sprung and the weather is warming. Thank the Lord almighty! The long winter with the Covid connection on top was getting to be too much. 

I'm gleefully ready to move on from the winter blues (made worse this year from the pandemic) and and probably an inkling of seasonal affective disorder. Spring is the perfect time to reset our internal clocks and sync them with the biorhythm of our circadian clocks. We finally get to feel the sun on our faces, warmth rewarded with short sleeves, and I'm finding myself outside and writing in a state of supreme bliss in my favorite office!

I often find myself circling back to this topic of the therapeutic nature of nature. Where we get our Vitamin D from more sun than our vitamin bottles, and we can rejoice in Vitamin N: Nature. 

Yes, theoretically we can do this in the winter too, but I am indeed a winter wimp, smiling more in the sunshine and warmth.

Nature certainly is part of our nature. This image showcasing a slice of a tree stump and a fingerprint really does put the finger on the pulse (pun intended).

These articles highlight the multitude of ways 4 mentally, physically... of ways being out in nature can "do a body good" psychologically, spiritually, physically, mentally, "decompressionally," educationally, developmentally, with your sleep health, and more 

• The Positive Effects of Nature On Your Mental Well-Being

• ScaryMommy's Blog Post: "We Should Try To Take The ‘1000 Hours Outside’ Challenge––Here’s Why"

• Outside Play is Crucial for Emerging Readers and Writers
• Exposure to Morning Sunlight Profoundly Affects Mood, Health, and Nighttime Sleep

• 11 Scientific Benefits of Being Outdoors

And just a few from the GTG Archives:

• Nature = Necessity Not Amenity
• The Benefits of Being Outside
• Why We Need Environmental Education
• Linking Nature, People, & Mindfulness
• Go Outside

So do yourself a favor: Find a nice healthy snack, a lovely lemonade, a tasty green tea, or just a big thermos of water and go find yourself some nature. Maybe a hike, a picnic, a sit spot, or a lounge chair. Soak up the sun, watch some birds, listen to the pounding of woodpeckers and other bird calls, watch some scampering squirrels or chipmunks, marvel at the glistening of sun on a body of water....and bask in the benefits of being outdoors. 

Images from: May you find yourself: https://www.facebook.com/chelsey.bahe/posts/10164989735150581; Tree seasons from http://www.felicia-levy.com/2017/10/14/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/; Tree-fingerprint from https://www.facebook.com/flowwellbeingnetwork/posts/226598855788156