Whether you’re a full-time working parent, an overloaded student, or simply working on defining the next chapter of your life, finding intentional time to be outside between daily events can prove challenging. In the US, the average person spends 87% of their time in enclosed buildings and another 6% in vehicles, leaving a measly 7% of outdoors time (Student Conservation Association, 2017). 7% of our outdoors time is unfortunately mostly composed of short-lived transitions between vehicles and buildings. Furthermore, following the COVID-19 pandemic, many once office-based workers have transitioned into remote positions; increasing the percentage of indoor time as travel to-and-from work decreases. Currently, 66% of Americans work from home at least part-time, and it’s projected that by the year 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely full-time (Flynn,2023). With this in mind, how do we fit in time to be outdoors with such busy schedules? Why even bother?

Give Yourself a Boost

If you feel unfocused, fatigued, or stuck, it may stem from a lack of movement and intentional time outside! Spending time outside daily improves our body and mind’s stress recovery, and refreshes us so we may have longer attention spans (Avitt, 2021). You can start improving your wellbeing without outdoors time at any point, however, it has been found that the earlier you begin getting yourself outside the better. Researchers in Denmark conducted a study on 900,000 children ranging from birth to the age of 10 years old. After 18 years of conducting this study, the researchers found that children who were less exposed to time outside in green spaces were 55% more likely to develop mental health strife in adulthood than those who grew up frequently spending time outdoors (Weir, 2020).

Relational Improvement

Spending times outdoors also has the power to better our relationships. Spending time outdoors has been correlated with increased empathy and bonding with others. In a study where green initiatives were implemented in neighborhoods, the residents reported not only having a 41% decrease in depression, but a change in interactions with their neighbors as well (Avitt, 2021). The residents stated there was an increase in positive interactions between them and their neighbors as compared to their interactions prior to the green initiative. Wilderness couple’s therapist Jeff Adorador has found that spending routine time outside with your significant other can prompt stronger cooperation, intimacy and communication within your relationship ( Kwak-Hefferan, 2023).

Furthermore, the outdoors can also improve connectivity for those who are sometimes overstimulated by the task of connecting with other people. Environmental psychologist Matthew White, in a study of people who experience social anxiety, found that one’s desire to connect could be quelled by spending time outdoors (Wier, 2020). White explained, “There are people who don’t necessarily want to spend their time with others, but they feel connected to the natural environment, and that can enhance their well-being.”

How and Where

As psychologists, social workers, environmentalists, and sociologist continue to study the correlation between human health and the outdoors, there’s no set-in-stone recommendation on how often one needs to be outside to reap wholistic benefits to their health and wellbeing. While experts have found the greener (fauna and flora) and bluer (marine spaces) spaces are the higher quality environments for mental restoration (Wier,2020), it has also been proven that increasing your outdoor time, in even in urban spaces, brings more mental stability (Student Conservation Association, 2017). People who increased their time outside by 2 hours a week, whether consecutively or spread out, felt an increase in wellness and motivation (Avitt,2021). Begin forming the habit of being outside by scheduling just 20 minutes every day. Other ways to motivate yourself to get outside hours include: joining a hiking group, designing a more thorough walking schedule for you and your furry friends, signing up for a community gardening project, going on walking dates with friends, planning date nights as a bike ride to a restaurant nearby, or planning some of your weekend meals as picnics!

References

Avitt, A. (2021, March 24). The wellness benefits of the great outdoors. US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/wellness-benefits-great-outdoors#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20mental%20wellness.

Kwak-Hefferan, E. (2023, April 6). How Time in Nature Can Improve Your Relationship. Outside Online. https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/nature-time-relationship/.

Student Conservation Association. (2017, December 11). How Going Outside Improves Our Mood and Health Even in Winter. Student Conservation Association. https://www.thesca.org/connect/blog/how-going-outside-improves-our-mood-and-health-even-winter/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrCwFZ22WaNodVUmcyJMrWsNXwWE4YSW2jOzgMAx1o6cX9CaYURKhdRoCBE4QAvD_BwE.

Weir, K. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by nature. American Psychological Association, 51(3). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature.

It’s no surprise that the average person gets a lot of screen time each day. According to the Brussel Times, smart phone users tap or swipe on their phones up to 2,617 times every 24 hours (2022). As remote work becomes more common and digitized, the total amount of time our eyes are on a screen has also increased, making blue-light glasses an essential accessory for many. The American Psychological Association found that, following changes made in the workplace and across society in general because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people now get an average of 10 hours of screen time every day (2022). Things we once wrote down or read on paper are going digital too, like journals, drawings, books, mindfulness tools, homework, and menus. With social media platforms and other apps consuming so much of our attention these days, the content we’re choosing to consume in our free time is essential to our mental stability.

Negative Impacts

Do you find yourself often scrolling mindlessly through your phone and, regardless of how bored you are, you keep scrolling anyway? Do you catch yourself watching videos for hours and becoming frustrated when you realize just how much time you just spent doing so? Do you scroll aimlessly, even when you’re out socializing with other people? We often struggle to detach from our comfort objects – in this case, our smart phones – even when they’re not enriching our experience or making us any happier. McLean Hospital (2023) explains that our dependency on social media platforms has been correlated with a variety of mental health issues and physical ailments, including:

1. Depression

2. Anxiety

3. Imposter syndrome

4. Disrupted sleep cycles

5. Headaches

6. Nausea

7. Muscle tension

8. Tremors

The root of these social-media related ailments is negative content (Morrison, 2020) and the feelings that come from watching others live a perceived good or perfect lifestyle (Kristenson, 2023). As a society, our desire for happiness has us caught in a trap. We can’t help but compare our own lives to the lives of those we follow online, and then may find ours lacking. Furthermore, it can prove detrimental when our posts get less attention than posts from people we follow, or if our posts receive judgmental comments. With so many negatives, why would we keep these platforms around?

Ways to Improve What We Consume

Although media gets a bad rap these days, our cell phones still have so many benefits! Never have we been able to connect so quickly, globally, or frequently as we do today. Staying in touch with friends and family, near and far, and being able to keep up with their achievements in real time gives us a serotonin boost (Morrison, 2020). As the world begins to take mental health issues more seriously, an explosion of mindfulness, positivity, wellness, and body-positive social media accounts has made healthy content

more readily available than ever before. So how does one keep the web in their life while staying healthy?

1. Follow more positive content! Believe me, it’s out there. For example, if you struggle with body positivity because the bodies you see on your feed cause you internal distress, follow accounts that empower bodies like your own!

2. Follow a positive affirmations feed or download an affirmations app. With as many hours as you spend on your phone each day, having positive reminders pop up during your scroll time will feed you daily encouragement and empowerment.

3. Block accounts that leave unfriendly comments. Your media platform should be a place to share your life with those who empower your uniqueness or celebrate your expression of self. You don’t need to grant access to others if they’re just going to bring negativity to your life.

4. Follow more accounts with nature present in the content. Studies have shown that watching videos of the outdoors grows and refocuses your mind in a ways that’s similar to being outdoors (Avitt,2021)! So if you’re stuck inside on a cold day or running from class to class, following some nature content could serve as a reset in your day.

It can take time, but intentionally developing and altering your media accounts and apps can reverberate positivity in one’s life. As algorithms work, the more of something you follow the more of that kind of content you’ll see in your feed. Removing superficiality and negativity from your daily view is something we can never completely wipe out, but we have the power to limit and force it into the backseat of our accounts.

References

Avitt, A. (2021, March 24). The wellness benefits of the great outdoors. US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/wellness-benefits-great-outdoors#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20mental%20wellness.

The Brussels Times. (2022, June 3). People touch their smartphone over 2,600 times a day, research shows. Www.brusselstimes.com. https://www.brusselstimes.com/232851/people-touch-their-smartphone-over-2600-times-a-day-research-shows.

Kristenson, S. (2021, October 19). Should You Fake Happiness on Social Media? Our Answer. Happier Human. https://www.happierhuman.com/fake-happiness-social-media/.

McLean Hospital. (2023, January 18). The Social Dilemma: Social Media and Your Mental Health. Www.mcleanhospital.org; McLean Hospital. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health.

Morrison, G. (2020, January 15). How to Turn Depressing Social Media Into a Positive Influence. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/smarter-living/how-to-fix-social-facebook-instagram-twitter.html.

We’ve all heard someone in our lives pitch the notion, “Eating healthier is cheaper!” or “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” or perhaps “People who don’t cook don’t care about having quality meals.” Over time, we have come to understand some of the ignorance of these statements when looking at the realities of food deserts, low-income single parenthood, and the imbalance some health trends have brought upon our communities. We already know that nutritious foods aren’t accessible to all, but another related problem that receives less attention is the lack of quality food education for all. We all benefit on a tremendous level from understanding how to meet our own dietary needs.

See the Difference

During my time working in a residential home for youth, one of my responsibilities was to prepare meals for the kids. Our mornings – like in many households with lots of children – were often chaotic. Therefore, breakfasts were often rushed by staff and seen as the least important thing when trying to get the kids together and over to school. On mornings when the kids may have only had several Eggos and milk, they were often unfocused, moody, and begging for a snack before the clock even hit 10am. I noticed this and took over curating more of the meals on my shift. As the kids tried new foods and incorporated more colorful choices into their mornings, they had more energy to engage and to sustain themselves. It wasn’t an easy transition, as eating healthy isn’t always a kid’s first choice, but as we tried out different options, many kids came to like or even request fruits and vegetables they once thought they hated. Even on busy mornings when we had to create fast meals, adding a side of berries or an orange to their cereal or avocado to their breakfast burrito gave them a more solid mindset.

I was also not eating healthily at this time and was constantly running around to try and get everything done. My mood was often low, and I was constantly tired and less creative at work. I began increasing my water intake and making sure at least one of my three meals a day was met with intention and was heavy with fruits and veggies. I followed no dieting plan and did not aggressively cut carbs or red meats from my life, but by making sure some of my snack and meal choices were high in vitamins, superfoods, or made with simple ingredients, my daily outlook shifted. I grew more patient in complex situations, I crashed less in the afternoons, and I felt happier and more motivated than I had in a long time.

Be Perfectly Imperfect at Eating

Recent studies have shown that people who struggle with mental health disorders such as Bipolar disorder, Anxiety disorders, Depression, OCD, Schizophrenia, and ADHD have deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 fatty acids (Jauwena, 2019). Common symptoms of many of these disorders include skipping meals, overeating, and craving comfort foods . As we know, mental health depletion is far more complex than diet alone, but we have seen that increasing the intake of vitamin-rich foods can help counter the severity of these issues.

The increase of serious physical and mental health disorders can’t be fully prevented or treated by changing eating habits, but food has more to do with alleviating mental distress than we give it credit for. Here are some strategies on how to be more conscious, even when it’s hard.

1. Intentional meal setting: Eating well for every single meal isn’t always in the cards. Food deserts still plague the United States, and time to prepare meals can be scarce. If access is the issue, then, when available, encourage your kids and family members to reach for fruit and vegetable products. When you’re shopping, incorporate buying food products that have fewer complex ingredients and artificial sugars if possible. Be patient with yourself and begin habit setting by incorporating at least one vitamin-rich, unprocessed, dense meal a day. Ideas for practical or easy meal preparations can be found all over the internet including platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok, making it fun and easy to research. For those without internet access, local libraries and bookstores carry quick reads on healthy snacking and meal making as well.

2. Meal prepping with friends- Sometimes starting something new with others is just more fun! Instead of going out to eat with friends, hit the grocery store and go home to create something different and yummy together! Trying new recipes or foods with friends can lower the anxiety or lack of motivation associated with doing these things alone.

3. Being okay with not having all the answers- Don’t be afraid to ask for help! We often assume eating better is common sense, but it’s really not! Reach out to friends, your therapist, and others in your community for tips and tricks until you find a balance that works for your own unique lifestyle. Better Life also works with several registered dietitians who can make recommendations about food, supplements and meal planning to fit your unique health history. Honor that we are still learning about the nutritious values of different foods and that different cultures have different health practices to offer – there’s not just one way. You won’t always know what’s right for your body, but exploring and expanding one’s palate can expand opportunities for a healthier and happier life!

References

Akhaury, K., & Chaware, S. (2022). Relation Between Diabetes and Psychiatric Disorders. Cureus, 14(10), e30733. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.30733. DRI Foundation. (2022). Diabetes Statistics. DRIF. https://diabetesresearch.org/diabetes-statistics/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw756lBhDMARIsAEI0AgnLJDq9bMEoeEyKwnwz3SxUDPzqFTgVPCDrjCfvq5Aiwnk_LVjBpMkaAiJdEALw_wcB.

Jauwena, G. (2019, January 15). Nutrient Deficiency: A Trigger For Mental Health Disorders. Life & Health Network. https://lifeandhealth.org/food/why-plant-based/nutrient-deficiency-the-trigger-of-mental-health-disorders/1314096.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw756lBhDMARIsAEI0AglOWr4L62_CMek9ES1qfVAG23AuNg_zv2cUiQuXftzvQy66EWWI1hcaAqEUEALw_wcB.