How Twenty Minutes a Day Can Change Your Life.

Did you know that the average American only spends 7% of their life outside? Maybe you are surprised by that number or perhaps not. When you put it in years, if we lived to be one hundred, that means we would have spent ninety-three years of our life indoors. That statistic came up in a book I was reading. Shocked by the number, I decided to do some digging, and sure enough, we are spending less time in nature and more time in front of screens and under artificial lights. We are becoming detached from the world outside.

So why does that matter? It matters because as we become removed from nature, we fail to see the importance of caring for our God-given natural world. We fail to understand the importance of tending and caring for the earth. To value where our food comes from and how it arrives on our table. It also matters because as we spend more time inside, our physical and mental health is suffering. We see higher rates of depression, sleep disorders, among other health issues.

Most days, I would refer to myself as a city girl. Camping is something I have done and learned to enjoy, but being honest, a hotel is less work than setting up camp. Bugs and snakes are not on my list of favorites. Mosquitos love to eat me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So if we were simply approaching the outdoors from the idea of comfort, I’m an indoor kind of girl. Yet I grew up spending lots of time outside, riding bikes, playing until dinner, or the street lights came on. I then married someone who spent his summers during college, leading outdoor treks into the Canadian wilderness and loved hiking, camping, and outdoor activities. When I think about some of my favorite memories with our boys, they happened out in nature. Detached from technology, exploring the world around us creates a natural setting to reconnect as a family.

Research done in 2018 and noted in an article on sciencedaily.com found that exposure to green space reduced the overall number of health risks, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stress, high blood pressure, and more.

But don’t fret, you do not need to become an outdoor enthusiast to reap the benefits of opting outside. With as little as twenty minutes a day spent outside, there can be a wealth of physical and mental improvements.

So why opt outside?

• Improved short term memory.
• Restored mental energy.
• Stree Relief.
• Reduced Inflammation.
• Better Vision.
• Sharper thinking and creativity.
• Reduced Health Risks.
• Improved Vitamin D levels.
• Fresh Air clears your lungs and helps you heal faster.
• Sunshine increases serotonin, which helps stave off anxiety and depression.
• And so much more……….

Tending your physical and mental health by opting outside a little each day is a cheap and easy way to live this one beautiful life we have well. It doesn’t take much, merely walking to the mailbox, watering our outdoor plants. We might linger on our back deck with coffee in hand. We might opt outside after dinner to unwind and reconnect with our spouse. Shoot some hoops with our kids, or draw chalk art on the driveway. Spend our Saturday morning wandering through the local farmers market or riding bikes out to our favorite park, lake, or natural area. Reconnect with nature by planting a butterfly garden, vegetables if you have space. If we don’t have space or time, a potted tomato plant or herbs in a window box will do.

It is incredible the joy, and calming effect nature can have when we intentionally add it into our life rhythms.