Many people would love to spend more time outside, but with modern lives and hectic lifestyles, it's actually more difficult than you might think. The good news is that spending time outside has proven benefits:
It can improve your sleep
Boost vitamin D production
Lead to better mood
Improve immune function
Enhance focus
What's more, you don't even have to spend that much longer outside to get many of the benefits. Even just 10 minutes a day, a few times, spread over a few days, or standing outside a few times can make a big difference.
So, what can you do to get outside more?
Make being outside a part of your daily routine
One of the things you'll want to do is make being outside a part of your daily routine. For example, you could:
Drink coffee or green tea every morning while looking over your garden
Eat meals in the evenings with your family outside
Even look at working outside in the middle of the day if you have the right pergola or awning to protect you from the sun
Eating breakfast on the porch is one of the best ways to set yourself up for the day. You can enjoy yourself while listening to the morning bird song. And it doesn't require any extra time—all you have to do is go out the back of your home and sit outside. It's just a shift in location.
Invest in your outdoor areas
Related to this last idea, you'll want to invest in your outdoor areas. The more money you pour into them, the more functional they'll become.
The place to start, of course, is with things like paving and shade. You could also use decking and retractable awnings if you want to be in the sun some of the time. Most people prefer permanent shade because it's easier to manage. After that you'll want to invest in furniture, browsing the Kettler furniture range might give you an idea of what’s out there.
Today's outdoor furniture is vastly more sophisticated and advanced than it was 20 years ago. Modern materials mean that it offers nearly the same level of comfort as indoor furniture but without the risk of damage from all weathers. You don't have to make do with cast iron chairs anymore.
Exercise in your garden
Instead of traveling in your car to a gym (both of which are indoors), you could look at the much easier option of just exercising in your garden. Going outside to do circuits, yoga, or plyometrics can be a great way to enhance your physical fitness with minimal travel time and effort on your part. You can reduce all of the transaction costs associated with going to a regular gym or walking along hiking trails, including reducing your parking costs.
These days, you can find all sorts of influencers and professionals online explaining how you can exercise in your garden with minimal equipment. They'll run through everything you need to know, so you can get a great workout without any of the hassle usually associated with it.
Plan outdoor social time
If you can plan outdoor social time at your home, that's also a good idea. Inviting friends over for picnics or hangouts in your backyard can be a great way to experience more of what nature has to offer.
Again though, you'll need to have the right facilities. You don't just want to be standing on a grass lawn in the middle of winter, that isn't fun. Therefore you want to invest in things like space heaters and proper seating in your outdoor areas. You could also bring them partially indoors, especially if you live in a very cold location, so you can still use them throughout the year.
The main issue of course is protection from the rain and keeping temperatures warm enough for being outdoors to be moderately enjoyable.
Engage in more outdoor hobbies
There are plenty of outdoor hobbies that you can engage in around on your property outdoors. Gardening is the obvious option. Research shows that it's extremely calming and makes people feel much more relaxed, especially after a hard week of work. Gardening is one of those things that people just do for the love of it itself, but it also has rewards in the future, including beautiful flower beds.
Another outdoor hobby you could start at home would be stargazing. You could set up a telescope in your back garden or just watch the stars as they move across the night sky.
Geocaching is another option, although you want to be a bit more careful with this because you don't want people coming onto your property. However, you could bury a time capsule in your lawn and then resolve to dig it up ten years later.
Take short breaks from work in your garden
If you work from home, you could also look at taking short breaks from work in your garden. Just stepping outside and sitting or standing for 10-20 minutes a day can have a profound effect on your well-being. It doesn't take much. Many people find that when they do this, it lowers their stress hormones and makes them feel happier in general.
The easiest way to do this is to work in a garden room. You can work in this outbuilding and then walk through your garden to the kitchen to get drinks and food when you need it during the day. This creates that of being outdoors regularly even if you're stuck inside on a computer.
Get outdoors first thing in the morning
Finally, one of the best tips is to simply get outdoors first thing in the morning. You'll often find that you're the most motivated during the morning hours compared to other parts of the day, so it can be helpful to be outside during these hours. It also creates a positive tone that you can take with you through the late morning and into the afternoon and perhaps even the evening. While you're outside, you could also practice techniques like grounding, or you could drink green tea to support your health.
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