By Casey Scott
Spending time outdoors has been proven to improve mental and physical wellbeing. Camping can help to relieve stress, anger, and other negative emotions that we bottle up from daily life. Camping and other outdoor activities can also be beneficial to one’s work life. Nature can help to get us back to a relaxed state of mind, boost our self-esteem, and help us to relieve pressure and relax, which in turn helps to boost creativity, engagement, and productivity. In this article, you’ll find industry experts’ takes on why they recommend spending some time outside.
Improves Your Mood
“One of the best ways to improve your mental health after hours of sitting inside at your desk is to go outside and immerse yourself with nature while getting some vitamin D. Stepping away from your desk and doing an activity outdoors in the sunlight has proven to help boost your serotonin levels and overall mood. Getting adequate amounts of vitamin D has shown to improve the quality of life for those who struggle with depression and anxiety. Not only is getting outside and spending time in nature good for your overall mental health, but also helps to improve focus in the workplace.”
– Gregg Dean, CEO and Co-founder of Layla Sleep
Reduces Stress
“When we’re being crushed under the pressure of all of our responsibilities, it’s important to take a step back and spend some time out in nature. Being outside not only separates you from your stressors but is a great way to process some of your emotions. Just spending 20-30 minutes outdoors has been proven to improve your overall mood and relieve tension. Studies have even shown that being outside can reduce your cortisol levels, a hormone that is known to cause stress.”
– Adrian Pereira, Co-Founder and CEO of Eco Pea Co.
Lets You Exercise
“Exercise is beneficial to your mental health. No matter what it is, whether it be walking, jogging, gardening, hiking, or playing a sport, being outside gets your body moving. It helps lower your blood pressure, which is an indicator of stress, while releasing endorphins which boost your overall mood. Outdoor activity allows you to feel rejuvenated and re energized both physically and mentally.”
– Matt Gehring, Head of Marketing at Dutch
Avoids Multitasking
“Most of us feel that multitasking is an efficient way of getting things done, but we usually perform better when we focus and concentrate on one thing. At the beginning of each day create a to-do list to help you stay focused. If you need more than that, then going outside and taking short breaks is a great way to remain at your best. This is a good place to start when you want to stay in the right mindset for an enjoyable and productive day at work.”
– Hilary Kozak, VP of Marketing at LivSmooth
Fights Anxiety and Depression
“Keeping yourself indoors actually has negative effects on your mental health. It makes it easy to feel like you’re trapped within the 4 walls of your house or office. By simply going outside, you can boost your overall mood. Getting outside boosts your serotonin and endorphin levels while getting necessary vitamin D, all things we need to stay happy and healthy. Just taking even 10 minutes to go outside is a huge step in improving your overall mental health and can help you return to work more productive.”
– Rich Rudzinski, Founder of Drivey.com, Oversight.co and Tragic Media
Finding Your Flow State
“Discovering your flow can help you stay organized and make the most of your time. It helps you reach an optimal state of consciousness when you feel and perform your best. If you’re struggling to find your state of flow, then taking breaks and spending time outside can help you get in tune with nature and find that flow. The biggest tip that helps me find this is to structure similar tasks together. Different tasks require a different level of thinking, so when you work on related tasks, you help your brain focus easier as you go throughout the day. In between switching tasks, step outside for a little while. It really makes a difference when making sure you have what you need to stay productive and avoid burnout.”
– Dhruv Sampat, Founder of Studypaq
Regulates Sleep
“Getting outside during a hard week of work can help regulate your sleep and lead to a stress-free environment and better results in the office. Melatonin production triggers a lack of natural light, which is why most people tend to get tired midafternoon after they’ve spent the day indoors staring at a computer screen. Getting natural lighting outside suppresses melatonin production and regulates the circadian rhythms to align with our body’s internal clock. This is due to the fact that going outside even for a quick stroll can help keep your body alert and awake during the day, making it easier to relax at night and get a good night’s sleep.”
-Megan Jones, VP Community Outreach Manager at NutraSweet Natural
Increases Motivation
“Spending time outside and getting a breath of fresh air can have a significant impact on your levels of motivation. Most of us are cooped up at our desks for several hours a day; it can be taxing on our mental health and levels of motivation. Outside activities give us a chance to refresh our minds, enjoy ourselves, and get ready to tackle our next task.”
– Jonathan Finegold, Sr. eCommerce Manager at Medcline
Allows You to Appreciate the World
You can get pretty much anything by just sitting at home now. By getting outside and seeing nature your mind will develop a much greater appreciation for the natural beauty this world has to offer. Try to take a break each day and get out and walk around a little bit. You will feel much better working the second half of the day after getting fresh air and sunlight. Try and find a nice hiking trail somewhere near you and make it a goal to hike it every once in a while. Get out and see what nature has to offer before it is too late, you do not want to look back and regret not going outside and seeing the world.
– Himanshu Agarwal, SVP of Solutions at WorkBoard
Can Help Improve Memory
“Recent studies have shown that walks in nature improve short-term memory. There have even been studies of this effect on depressed individuals and the effects have been the same. So, if you feel like your memory has been struggling lately, try walking outside a bit. Find a nice trail through the woods and see how it makes you feel or plan yourself a get away camping trip. If you are feeling really sluggish one day, getting outside and breathing in the fresh air may be just the medicine you need.”
– Mark Jorgensen, Marketing Manager at CTL.net
Boosts Creativity
“There is tons of research out there that shows when people give themselves a chance to take a break and go outside, they see a massive improvement in their creative capacity. It does make sense that allowing yourself to disconnect for a little while and enjoy the great outdoors can recharge your mind and allow yourself to be refreshed and ready for any task that comes your way. Carve out some time during the day to take even a little walk around the neighborhood and see for yourself what it can do to help your brain fire on all cylinders.”
– Brandon Brown, CEO of GRIN
Improves Cognitive Function
“Studies show that spending time in nature can help improve brain function. According to the American Psychological Association, listening to the sounds heard in nature like chirping birds, howling winds, and crashing waves can help with stress reduction and attention restoration. Being in nature has also been shown to increase attention to detail. A study was done on subjects who spent time in nature or urban areas before a test and those who spent time in nature made far less mistakes on the test. Spending your free time in nature is calming and good for the soul, but it can also help you be a better, more efficient worker.”
– Jason Brandt, Customer Success Director at Podopolo
Team Building
“Spending time outside as a group can be a great way to team build. Setting up a camping corporate outing can be a great way to get your employees out of the office and outside. There are huge health and wellness benefits to spending time outdoors, but it can also be a uniting event for your professional teams. Camping together gets people out of their comfort zones and allows you to see each other from a new perspective. Setting up the tent, building a fire, cooking, hiking are all great experiences for people to spend time and work together in ways that they wouldn’t otherwise. Camping as a team can help to boost employee engagement, encourages collaboration and openness, and will make for a unique experience for everyone.”
– Sanem Ahearn, Head of Marketing at Colorescience
Increase Your Energy
“Are you feeling lethargic or just don’t seem to have the energy you need to get your work done? Instead of settling for a cup of coffee or an unhealthy energy drink, consider taking just 20 minutes to get outside and walk around. It’s been proven that getting outside and being in the open air can give you a boost of energy equal to that of a standard cup of coffee. Even just sitting outside and breathing fresh air can do the trick. Try not to settle for a quick-fix of energy, do you and your body a favor and get outside for a bit!”
– Daniel Kane, Founder of Ridge
Dealing with feelings of loneliness or isolation
Working Outside
“Spending more time working outdoors offers the unique mental health benefit of restoring focus and mental clarity through a process known as “attention restoration.” Unlike indoor settings that often demand sustained concentration and contribute to cognitive fatigue, natural environments allow for a softer, effortless focus known as “soft fascination.” This type of engagement lets the mind wander and recover from intense mental tasks, which helps refresh attention span and cognitive functioning. As a result, people who work outside or take regular breaks in nature often return to their tasks with a clearer, more focused mindset. This restoration improves productivity and supports overall mental well-being by reducing the mental exhaustion that can lead to burnout.”
– From Bill Lyons, CEO of Griffin Funding
It’s clear that getting outside and spending time in nature has many benefits to our personal and professional lives. Whether you’re an experienced camper, hiker, or rock climber or you’re planning your first trip, camping will be a positive experience for both the solo or group camper.
Ensure that on your next camping trip you are able to reap all these benefits of spending time in nature by taking safety precautions and plack plenty of provisions and supplies. With these tips in mind, you will come back feeling refreshed, relaxed, and centered again so you can return to work back and better than before!
Casey Scott
Casey Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Social Entrepreneurship. She attended the University of Delaware before moving to San Diego to begin her career in Digital Marketing. She loves going to the beach, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
One hundred percent agree with this article! This is exactly why we chose the digital nomad lifestyle and even pursue van life because it would allow us to go out more, live better yet still make a living. We’ve also moved outside of capital cities (we both grew up in a capital city) and towards the coastline/countryside because it was just better for our work-life balance, our well-being, and state of mind.
That’s awesome to hear! I agree it’s nice to get out of big cities and be more in touch with nature. I always gravitate toward beach towns!
I certainly have to agree. The benefits of being outdoors are numerous. It has a knock on effect on both our mental and physical health.
Yes to this! I have to be outside every day that feeling you get when you connect with nature is second to none.
I agree. I’ve embraced these tips more and more since the pandemic. Exercise and being in nature helps with your mood and mental state. I just haven’t seen it help with my memory!
I know I feel so much better after spending time outdoors. It’s nice to hear there are good reasons for that! It’s especially helpful to clear my head and get in a more peaceful state of mind before tackling big writing projects. It may look like I’m procrastinating – but it’s actually a necessary first step! So I can totally relate to these points.
I always say the outdoors is my medicine and this is why! It has so many incredible benefits for the mind (and body) and helped me a lot through lockdown. Thank you for sharing this!
I can’t agree more , getting out definitely has a lot of pluses and especially with all the social distancing and seclusions the past couple of years, its very much needed now for better mental health !
Totally! Spending time outside is so important to my mental health too.
I totally agree with everything you pointed out. I am looking forward to go on a comping trip within the nest 2 mos. I badly need a break.
I could not agree with this article more, you are right on every point, the health benefits to being outside are huge. Such an important message here and some sound advice x
I have to admit the best benefit I get from being outside is I definitely sleep better. Now the weather is getting better I can out there more!
I always feel better when I spend more time outside. Surely it might be connected with the weather but I do find it interesting and important to find reasons to be out more throughout the year
I agree! Even if it’s cold it feels so great to get out of the house.
You can’t beat nature and fresh air to waken the whole body, mind, emotions and soul!
All these benefits are so worth going out doors but most of all I enjoy the adventure of discovering new places to see and just spending time in nature.
Great point! It’s always such an awesome feeling when you find a new place to explore 🙂
These are great points and one that I can relate to. I have been making an effort to get my son and I outside more these days either on a play date or just us two. I can say that it works wonders being outdoors. The fresh air helps with stress and mental clarity while walking or running or chasing my son around the park helps me feel more energetic and excited about life. It’s hard to explain but it really does work!
It’s nice to see your list of mental health benefits attributed to the outdoors. I’ve always intrinsically appreciated the value of camping and how good it feels to get outdoors…your article explains why! I hope the world continues to keep up with outdoor activities and camping post-pandemic because, frankly, we could all do better with an improved state of mind. The best thing is, it’s easy enough to do!
Totally! Even just being outside for a short amount of time each day and getting some fresh air improves my mental health so much.
The Mental Health Benefits of Working and Getting Outside are numerous and people must know about these. Thanks for sharing the information
I so agree with all these. I admitted I have the best sleep when camping in nature, either sleeping in a tent or in the trailer. Even if I don’t get to go to nature, I’m glad I walk my dog every day. It does help reduce stress and build a good mood.
So true! A great activity for you and your dog must love it too!
Great points.
It really feels good going outdoors several days after a long, tiring work period, both physically and spiritually.
The most important thing is give me some rest and time to think and plan, and come back with a more clear goal.
Totally agree! Spending time outside is such a great way to clear your mind and destress after a long day.
My mood is surely improved, the moment I work from the outside! I can never get enough of that fresh wind blowing off my face.
Such an awesome feeling!
Spending more time outside definitely improves your mood and reduces stress. I’m lucky that I have to walk my dog every day, so I’m forced to leave the screen of my computer and spend more time in nature, lol!
I second all this! I’m a huge fan of outdoors and I don’t think I could keep doing my daily routines without getting outside and recharging. Not only just outdoors but especially the nature is so powering. I definitely recommend everyone struggling in life to start daily walks outside if possible. It can do wonders.
Absolutely! It can be tedious starting a new routine but always pays off in the long run.
There is no doubt, that your body and your mind greatly benefit from being outdoors. Even if I feel down or lazy, once I did the step of going for a run or walk, I usually feel better. Same goes for all sort of sports, even indoor (at least for me).
There is no doubt that these outdoor activities refresh you. I definitely return with a clear mind and more energy. I agree on the exercising bit and I also, feel that outdoor experiences change your perspective to life. You do tend to become more tolerant of things
Getting time outside can really change your mindset. I especially like getting out for even just a few minutes in the middle of the workday. It really helps my flow for the rest of the day.
Me too! Sometimes I’ll even take a work call outside just to get some fresh air.
I totally agree. Being outdoors can be so refreshing. The view, the fresh air, the solace… How much better can it be? Great post.
There are sooo many benefits with going outside or working out outside. I can’t wait for it to get warmer so I can finally do that!
These are great reasons to workout! Often times we aren’t motivated to workout but after we finish, we always feel our mood lifted and that we are glad we accomplished it. I can definitely say I felt this during quarantine as well.
Yes! Plus, once you start feeling the benefits it’s so much easier to continue with your new routine!
The world is full of life stressors, but spending time in nature our mind rest. I love spending time outside especially hiking.
We all feel comfortable in our homes, but spending time with nature is always good for our mental health. I agree with all these benefits
Agreed! It’s so easy to stay in bed or lay on the couch but I’m always so much happier after being outside.
All of these are great. This post perfectly highlights why staying indoors and to yourself is the worst thing you can do for your mental health.
These are great tips on how to improve mental health! I’ve been doing my best to explore the outdoors more since the pandemic started.
So glad to hear that!
As someone who suffered from severe anxiety and depression, I can honestly say that the more I go outside, the better I feel. It’s also a great distraction.