Nature as medicine: a challenge

There’s a good reason that spending time outside usually leaves you feeling happier and more relaxed—actually several good reasons. According to various studies¹, being in nature may:

• Help improve your memory
• Boost your concentration
• Promote weight loss and boost your mental energy
• Help you absorb vitamin D (a vitamin that may help prevent cancer, osteoporosis, and heart attacks)
• Reduce stress
• Strengthen your immune system
• Improve your mood

Those are compelling reasons to open the door and step outside, so why not write yourself a prescription for spending more time outdoors?

For the entire month of August, challenge yourself to spend at least 30 minutes outside each and every day. If it’s safe to do so, invite a friend or family member to join you, and enjoy the added benefit of social connection.

See if you start noticing any trends, like an increase in energy, improved mood, better sleep, or decreased chronic pain.

You can do the same activity every day (a 30-minute walk for 31 days in a row is a wonderful idea!), but if you want some inspiration, here are 31 ways to enjoy spending time outside:

1. Grab a lawn chair, a blanket, and a cup of something warm and look for shooting stars after dark
2. Do yoga in the park
3. Eat your lunch outside
4. Plant a tree in memory of a loved one
5. Mow the lawn, then mow a neighbor’s lawn
6. Fly a kite
7. Have a walking meeting, if you’re back to work
8. Lay on the grass and see what shapes you see in the clouds. Bonus points if you take a sketch book along and draw what you see!
9. If you don’t own one, borrow a friend’s dog and take it for a walk
10. Research trails in your area and map out a nature walk using something like Map My Walk so you can track your distance
11. Get up early and go somewhere where you can watch the sun rise.
12. Stay up late and watch the sun set
13. Sit on your front porch with a cold drink and greet everyone passing by
14. Go for a walk in the rain
15. Try birdwatching
16. Research the history of your city, town, or neighborhood and take yourself on a historical walk
17. If you like being spooked, research ghost stories related to your area and take yourself on a ghost walk
18. Read a book in the shade
19. Tackle the weeds in your garden and, with permission, tackle the weeds next door
20. Take a nap under a shady tree
21. Get some chalk and make some art on your sidewalk or driveway
22. Knit or crochet in the park
23. Grab your camera and take some photographs of the beautiful things in your neighborhood, then share them on social media to encourage others to get out and explore the world around them
24. Camp out in your backyard
25. Try to identify 10 different plants and 10 different trees during a walk
26. Eat dinner under the stars in your backyard or on your balcony
27. Jump rope
28. Try Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese practice that has been called meditation in motion, on your front lawn
29. Prep a vegetable bed for next spring so you’ll be able to enjoy homegrown produce next summer and fall
30. Blow bubbles down the street for all to enjoy
31. Turn your backyard into a mini golf course

SOURCES

1 https://selecthealth.org/blog/2019/07/10-reasons-why-being-in-nature-is-good-for-you

417957D CAN/US 08/20