Feeling isolated and stuck indoors by the virus precautions? You may be overlooking something that can help you stay healthy.
No, I’m not talking about vitamin D3 – which is also crucial to a healthy immune system.
I’m talking vitamin N: time in nature. There’s a substantial body of research linking physical, mental and spiritual health to our association with the natural world.
Avoiding people doesn’t preclude getting out and spending time in nature, where we can see few people or no one at all.
There are many studies indicating one of the main benefits of time in nature is stress reduction. That’s important right now when anxiety is high.
Being in nature can help you calm down and not think or worry. There’s something about nature that gives us perspective. It reminds us that there are greater things at work than just ourselves.
It also seems to enhance our immune systems. A study of prison inmates in Michigan found that inmates whose cells faced prison walls were sick 24% more than inmates who looked out on farmland.
In a 10-year study of people undergoing gall bladder surgery, those who had a view of trees in their recovery room went home sooner than those who looked out a brick wall.
Any plans for some outside time?