5 Reasons You Need the Outdoors

The outdoors are calling! It’s the perfect time of the year to get outside and enjoy the beauty around you. Did you know that simply spending time in nature is actually beneficial to your mental and physical health?

1. Improved Memory and Concentration

There’s something about fresh air and an open landscape that does the brain good. Here’s proof: In a study conducted by the University of Michigan, a group of students was issued a memory test and then split into two groups upon completing the test. Both groups went for a walk, one group through a forest and the other group through a city. After the walk, they took the memory test again. Those who walked through the forest scored higher on the test than those who didn’t.

2. Restored Energy

Researchers call the occasional brain fogs you experience “mental fatigue.” You know, the feeling you get when you completely forget your train of thought. Exposing your mind to natural environments can have a restorative effect on mental energy and focus. Additionally, there have been studies suggesting that experiencing natural beauty can elicit feelings of awe and can be a quick way to provide a mental boost. Bring a pack of e9 along with you for an extra boost of naturally derived energy.

3. Relief from Daily Stress

Countless studies have been performed to prove that spending time in nature, even looking at scenes of nature from a window, lowers levels of cortisol—the “stress hormone.” Many of these studies have noticed that in connection with stress reduction, spending time in the outdoors cultivates a positive attitude and mindfulness. As naturalist John Burroughs said, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”

4. Boosted Immune System

A 2010 study conducted in Japan asked a group of individuals to camp outside for three days and two nights. Researchers discovered that white blood cell activity increased, resulting in white blood cell production. These types of cells kill illnesses, such as the cold and flu viruses, and other common infections. Add in your daily dose of Mistica and head outside!

5. Improved Mental Health

Globally, about 350 million people struggle with depression and one in three people deal with anxiety. Scientists at Stanford University published a study in Proceeding of the National Academy of Science that showed that those who walked in a natural setting, as opposed to an urban setting, had decreased activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain that focuses repeatedly on negative emotions. Many medical professionals are now prescribing nature therapy as part of their mental health regimens.

The benefits of spending time outdoors are overwhelming and life altering, so put on your hiking shoes and head up a steep grade, go birdwatching, take a dip in a lake, or relax at a campground with family and friends. It doesn’t matter what activity you choose, just make sure to take advantage of the warm seasons and claim the natural benefits the great outdoors has to offer.