By Lupina Fry, Wellness Nurse

Springtime is a beautiful season with bursts of bright greens, pinks, and yellows everywhere you look. However, simply observing it through your living room window may not be beneficial for your overall health. According to the National Library of Medicine, spending time outdoors and in nature can significantly improve your physical and mental well-being.

In just 20 minutes, being outside can improve your physical wellness by increasing your Vitamin D level, which is important for bones, blood cells, and the immune system. Spending time in green spaces, at least 2 hours a week, can help reduce cortisol levels, decrease muscle tension, and lower blood pressure. Walking in nature or doing regular exercise, can lead to improved digestion, heart and lung
health, and weight loss while maintaining muscle strength. Additionally, it positively impacts circadian rhythm, which improves sleep quality.

Being outside in nature can improve mental health by improving our thinking, reasoning, and other cognitive abilities. It brings feelings of pleasure that can reduce stress, anxiety, tension, and mental fatigue. There are many ways to make getting outside part of your routine.

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heaves, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. … I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
Ann Frank

For example, if you need to make a phone call, take it outside. Take up a hobby such as outdoor photography or bird watching. Invite a friend to sit outside with you and find a location where you can enjoy nature together such as one of the benches on the Trinity Woods campus. Get outside and enjoy nature and don’t forget to take your shoes off and feel the grass beneath your feet- it feels wonderful!