Fresh air, fresh mind

In this episode I am talking about the mental health benefits of being outside. Increases in serotonin and reducing stress, improving concentration, these are all the powerful effects of spending even short bursts of time outside. 

Transcript

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One, two, eight, three, four. When we go outside. Welcome to the Nature's Wonder Podcast. Where we thrive when we go outside. Today is all about how being outside can improve your mental health. It's a very small, simple but effective way. So let's start with the basics. When we go outside, whether it's a park or taking the kids to school, a garden, a forest, our brains respond in remarkable ways. Firstly, the natural environment around us helps to reduce stress. Studies have shown that just 20 minutes outside can lower cortisol levels, and that's the hormone that's linked to stress. The sound of the birds, the wind in the trees, and the open space around us all send signals to the brain that say you're safe, you can relax. But have you noticed that being outside also boosts your mood? That's because the sunlight increases the body's production of serotonin, the chemical that's linked to happiness and emotional stability. And who doesn't want more of that? That's one reason why you'll notice that you feel better and calmer and more positive when you've had a walk outside. Another aspect is that nature improves focus. Psychologists call this attention restoration. Because our brain gets really tired from constant concentration, especially when we're staring at screens or doing lots of demanding tasks and multitasking, natural environments gently engage our attention without exhausting it. And that all aids in our minds recovering. So let's focus on children. Why is it important that children spend time outdoors? Well, it isn't just about fun play, it's also essential for the healthy mental development. Have you noticed that when children play outside, they experience freedom and creativity? And instead of being constricted by structured activities and digital games and indoor spaces, the outdoor spaces encourage imagination. A stick becomes a sword, a tree becomes a fort, and a patch of grass becomes an entire universe. This is the kind of imaginative play that helps develop problem-solving skills and creativity. Children learn to invent rules, they solve conflicts, they navigate challenges on their own. They don't need us to helicopter them in the safe environment. Outdoor play also supports emotional regulation. Have you ever noticed that by taking your child outdoors, even if it's just five or ten minutes, they'll calm down because they'll start looking at different things around them. They're obviously shorter than we are, so they'll notice things on the ground. They'll see the ant working hard, or they'll notice the ladybird settling on a leaf, or the petals that have fallen off a flower. And that's all such a positive thing for children to just focus on one thing at a time. Again, their minds are overfilled with constant bombardment from digital screens and phones and us telling them what to do. Another aspect is movement. What do children do when they're first released into the playground or into a park? They run, and that's because it's a gift to be able to feel that freedom of movement. Again, you're not constrained by the walls or the rules in the school where you're not allowed to run or you have to be careful that you don't bump into things. Outdoors, it just feels bigger, it feels wider, it feels like the whole world is there. And this is the body then going to what's the body going to react with? The body is going to release natural feel-good chemicals, these endorphins. And we've noticed that as well as adults, that we reduce anxiety and improve our mood whenever we exercise. So who doesn't need more of that in their lives? What about the social benefits of outdoor playing? Well, I remember this from living in London that the parks were just a wonderful place to meet lots of different children from different backgrounds, maybe even speaking different languages. It just was an environment where children could be children. They were all on an equal playing field. They didn't have to worry too much about any rules or regulations or the like. And it was just a way that they could interact with each other, whether it's sharing a spade in the sand pit or allowing another child to go on the slide first, turn taking. These are all spontaneous ways to improve social interaction. And outdoors brings people together of different ages as well. And it's an opportunity for children to develop leadership skills and empathy. And what's another benefit? Well, this is probably one of my favorites. It's that connection to nature. I'm always talking about how much I love nature and how connected we should be to the colours that are around us, how green makes us feel calm, how when we suddenly see a daisy unfolding, it's just makes us feel good. And that's because we are breaking down things that are in our environment and just focusing on one thing. Again, it's living in the present. I have to remind myself of this all the time. Be in the present. Listen to the birds singing. Try and ignore the humming of the traffic and just focus on the wind in the trees, or look at how spring is come bringing everything back to life with the magnolia and the daffodils, which are stunning this year, by the way. When children spend our time outdoors, they develop curiosity about the natural world, and that's what we want. We want children to have curious minds. Why does the ant work in such straight lines? Or um why does it matter how many spots a ladybug has? Or when do we have more butterflies? Which season brings out the bumblebees? Can hornets sting you? This is all part of the sense of creating a sense of wonder and also just helping them to be interested in the beautiful natural world that's around them. And research suggests that children who spend more time in nature often grow up with a stronger environmental awareness and a greater sense of responsibility for the planet. But beyond that, children, sorry, nature can create moments of calm and reflection in our busy life. So, what are some ways that you can do this? Well, I've recorded a podcast that's coming out next, probably podcast number four, and that's got some inspirational quotes that I've read that will just prompt you to fall in love with nature again. But here are some ideas. So, could you walk to school instead of driving, visit a local park, take your bike out with your children and stop? And one of my best tips that I could really give you is always take a snack. Children love eating outdoors. I love eating outdoors. I don't know what it is, but food always tastes better. When the weather's like this, I have to take my plate of lunch outside or my breakfast or my coffee. It all tastes so much better outside. I'm sure there's some scientific research into that. Um, so could you do that? Could you just take your bike and I don't know, take a few snacks, some nuts and some raisins and stop off. You don't have to go far. And I think that's sometimes one of the hindrances is thinking that you have to cycle for a mile or you have to get to a certain point. But remember, it's all about the journey. It's get it's just moving. That's the wonderful thing. It's just getting out there. Doesn't matter how far you go, could just be to the end of the road. If you're with a toddler, it's really not going to be very far, is it? But yes, take a snack with you. Let your children play freely. I know that I've been guilty of this, where I'm a bit of a helicopter mother, worried that something's gonna go wrong, someone's gonna fall off the climbing frame, someone's gonna hit another child, and there's gonna be tears. Yes, of course, all these are there's risk. There's risk if you walk out the door, there's risks involved if you stay at home. But this is all part of life, and this is what we want to help in building up resilience is that if children can take risks on their own, obviously in a safe environment, and that's why forest schools are fantastic, uh, parks are brilliant, anywhere that you can stand at a safe distance so that you can be there for your child, obviously, depending on their age, but just allow them to explore, allow them not to have to hear the words be careful or watch yourself, or you shouldn't do that, or don't jump in a puddle. That's one of my pet gripes, is hearing somebody say to a toddler, don't jump in a puddle. It's just a magnet for them, then. Why can't they jump in the puddle? Put them in some wonderful waterproofs, put their wellies on, or wash their clothes afterwards. It's just one of the joys of being a child, is to jump in a puddle, to hear the splash, to see the spray of the water. It's magical. Don't keep that from your children. Could you do some gardening together? I'm not great at gardening, I will confess that. Um, I'm not very good at planting things. Well, I'm good at planting them, but then I forget about them and they either grow or don't grow. So, but maybe you can prove me wrong and be even better than I am. Just take a family walk after dinner. It really helps with digestion and it's another opportunity to be away from a screen. If possible, leave your phone at home or put it on silent, put it in your pocket. Okay, you might want to make it make a note of it and take a photo here or a video there. But if possible, just put your phone down, put it on silent and go for a little walk. And again, it's just a matter of five, ten minutes. Doing it every day, especially as the days are getting longer now. So let's wrap this up by reminding us why it's so good to spend time outside. It's your mental well-being. It's such a powerful way to improve how you how you're feeling. It reduces stress and it restores focus and encourages creativity. For children, outdoor play helps them with their emotional resilience, their social skills, imagination, and building up these healthy habits of a lifetime that will make them love the outdoors. Yes, we do live in a very screen-heavy world. And stepping outside can seem daunting, another thing to add into your schedule, but it's one of the simplest and one of the most effective things that you can do for your mental health and your children's. So step outside, have a look at what's around you, and just let nature what it does best, calm you and restore you. So, thank you so much for listening to this podcast. And remember, you thrive when you go outside.