Getting outdoors can reduce stress

Getting outdoors can help to improve our mental health, reducing anxiety and stress. It can also help to improve our mood and reduce fatigue. If you’re going for a walk, run, or bicycle ride outdoors, this means you’ll be more physically active, which can improve your physical health and also reduce stress. Plus, endorphins! I always feel fantastic after a trail run.

Time spent outdoors can also help us to feel more relaxed. Engaging in outdoor sports can help to improve confidence and self-esteem, which can in turn help reduce stress. I’ve talked a lot about how getting outdoors can helps us to expand our comfort zone, and when we feel comfortable and confident in a wider variety of situations, this can also help to reduce stress.

Some studies suggest that getting outdoors can reduce stress because it can increase social contact, and I’m sure that’s the case for extroverts. However, as an introvert, I’d say that getting outdoors reduces stress because I’m going out alone and reducing social contact. So be sure that you get outdoors in the way that works for you.

Getting outdoors can improve time management

Time spent outdoors in green spaces has proven to improve productivity and focus, as well as attention restoration and cognitive function. Getting outdoors can also help to improve short term memory and augment creativity. All of this can help to improve time management.

It’s worth pointing out that simply getting outdoors—and away from our workspace—to do things that we enjoy helps us to rest, relax, and refresh our minds. When we take time away from work and our work place, it improves time management.

I used to go to a big hotel for my workcation weekends, which are when I get the bulk of my creative projects done. But this year, I started going to various holiday cottages and shepherds huts in the countryside, where I had views of rolling green fields or of farmland. And, unsurprisingly, my workcations got even more productive. Even though I was sitting indoors, working on my computer, I found that simply having a view of green spaces made me more relaxed and more productive.

But how?

Most of the studies that focus on the mental health benefits of getting outdoors focus on the following: heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol levels, and heart rate variability. While there are many factors that can affect these biological markers, it seems to be that getting outdoors generally lowers heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol levels, and improves heart rate variability.

Check out the article Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments for a more detailed scientific explanation of how these studies were carried out.

On the blog

• 10 Easy Steps to Improve Time Management and Reduce Stress
• 10 MORE Steps to Improve Time Management and Reduce Stress
• 6 Time management tips for students (and everyone else)
• Improve Time Management by Working in Blocks
• How to Improve Time Management With Three Simple Questions
• 5 Simple Ways to Improve Time Management & Reduce Stress

On the podcast

• 374 Holly Worton ~ How Outdoors Adventures + Travel Help With Digital Detox
• 293 Holly Worton ~ How to Get Back on Track & Get Sh!t Done After Illness or Burnout
• BMP222 Amber De La Garza ~ How to Structure Your Business To Improve Productivity & Get Things Done
• BMP183 Holly Worton ~ How to Get Things Done YOUR Way
• [SHP 46] How to Improve Time Management and Reduce Stress, with Julie Gray

Related reading

Read about my two adventures along England’s most popular National Trail in this second edition of my book Alone on the South Downs Way. This book contains all the blisters, sweat, and tears from my first life-changing journey—and all the joy, presence, and magic of the second one. More than just a walking travelogue or memoirs of a walking holiday, this book contains my reflections on walking the trail, including lessons learned and practical information to help you plan your hiking adventure. It includes a suggested packing list, gear recommendations, and other useful tips, such as when to walk the trail, where to stay, and how much you’ll need to budget.

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