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Slipping the boat into the inky black water, and with my headlight switched on, I glided out on the Swan River for a kayak with friends under the light of the rising full moon. This was my first twilight outing and it was just what I needed at the end of a massive couple of weeks.

Two book launches, delivering workshops, podcasts, interviews and researching had left me exhausted. It would have been so easy to just flop onto the couch at home and veg out in front of some brain-dead TV. But I knew that wouldn’t have alleviated the feeling I get when I’ve been pushing myself too hard.

My go-to in “times of trouble” or simple overwhelm is to get outside into a green or blue space. In just a couple of minutes, my stress levels were falling, and I was less tense as I let go of all my “stuff” and relaxed into the natural environment.

It’s no secret, time outside is good for us in so many ways, and with so many of us experiencing high levels of stress it’s important to have a repertoire of what you know works for you, to feel better.

The type of outside you enjoy is unique to you. You may be drawn to water. You might prefer woodland or being in the bush. Perhaps time in your garden is your thing or birdwatching.

 

1. Nature reduces stress

When we’re outdoors we enter a more positive emotional state. This happens automatically as our physiology responds to being outside in a place that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but feels safe to be in. The parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that counterbalances the sympathetic side associated with “fight or flight” becomes activated, calming your mind, slowing your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure and your levels of stress.

Creating the habit of getting outside more often is the perfect way to bolster your well-being and resilience.

 

2. It broadens perspective

Sitting at a desk in front of a screen for hours is cognitively exhausting. Trying to stay focused on the task at hand is not only tiring, but the resulting stress also narrows your cognitive bandwidth, meaning you’re literally becoming more one-eyed. It’s harder to see the options and alternatives in front of you. Problems start to look a lot bigger and overwhelm starts to rise.

Stepping outside, or even looking out of a window for 40 seconds onto a green space has been shown to restore attention. Imagine spending a few minutes every day, just enjoying the fresh air and sunshine and the positive impact that can have on your ability to stay clear-headed, focused and zipping through your to-do list.

 

3. Nature helps you maintain your mental well-being 

One hundred and twenty minutes a week. That’s the minimum amount of time needed to maintain mental well-being. More is better. That translates into 17 minutes and a few seconds each day. Who doesn’t have that time available to invest in their own mental health?

If you’re telling yourself you’re too busy, I’d suggest you could be putting yourself at greater risk in the long term of chronic high stress morphing into anxiety, depression or burnout. It’s also been shown that getting outside helps that sense of time pressure to dissipate. How liberating to not be fighting that darn clock all the time.

 

4. Natural smells calm

When I experienced burnout while working in General Practice, one of my colleagues sent me a note that said, “Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.”
I’ve always detested that quote, and the note just made me angry. However, they did have a point.

In a small study, Japanese researchers found that the scent of pink roses in an office setting induced a sense of calm in just four minutes.

While no one has ever bought me scented pink roses, I do know how much I enjoy floral scents. Jasmine, orange blossom, boronia are just a few of the scents that make me want to inhale more, because the scent is so beautiful.

Another study reported that pleasant scents in cars make for safer driving, better mood and improved well-being in angry drivers. Perhaps that’s why so many people use those dangly scent-impregnated cardboard trees. Not only that, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Bentley now include olfactory interfaces in their high-end vehicles to increase driver and passenger well-being.

“Dial up the orange blossom would you Jeeves?”

It’s also been shown that infusing aromatics like lavender into the bedroom can enhance better sleep quality.

Not all natural smells are pleasant. If you’ve ever had a cow pat stuck under the wheel arch of your car, you’ll know what I mean. But what we do know is how powerful pleasant smells are to our psyche. We just need to ensure we don’t overpower our colleagues when liberally dousing ourselves in our favourite perfume.

 

5. Time in nature alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression 

With one in seven Australians currently taking an anti-depressant, something’s clearly not right in our society. When recovering from depression, my go-to was to get myself out, on my own to some local bushland. When you’re severely depressed even doing that can be a challenge. I started by driving to a car park in the reserve and sitting in the car for a while, looking out over the greenery and listening to the birdsong. That then gradually progressed to taking short walks and then longer forays as my depression started to lift.

Today I ensure I get outside every day for a minimum of thirty minutes to walk, swim or sit to savour everything around me, to stay well. It works.

Lifestyle green prescriptions work to assist in dealing with grief, depression and anxiety. Getting out, away from all our usual distractions, screens and worries is such a simple cost-effective (free) solution to help us manage our complicated lives more effectively. Yes, we may still need other assistance in the form of medication, counselling or specialist help, but how good is it to know you’re doing something positive for yourself and doing something you enjoy.

This is why it’s so important to ensure everyone lives close to adequate tree canopy and can access green space. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and there is a distinct disparity in health outcomes because of this.

Research by Prof Astell Burt in Australia and others have shown living near more green space supports better mental and general health and may help reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. It’s time we all stepped up to do our part and take better care of our own mental health by getting outside more often.

 

If there’s #onesmallthing you could do to increase the amount of time you spend outside each day, what would that look like to you?

Dr Jenny Brockis

Dr Jenny Brockis is a medical practitioner and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, workplace health and wellbeing consultant, keynote speaker and best-selling author. Her new book The Natural Advantage (Major Street Publishing) is now available.

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