If you enjoyed that random 70 degree weather in mid-February, don’t pull out your shorts just yet. As you noticed, days after our taste of Spring, flurries were in the forecast and we stopped spending time outdoors. Our Winter season has been showing some warm spells, and many of us have taking advantage of that, but that shouldn’t be the only reason we go outside. No matter the weather, being outdoors has surprising benefits that many of us may not realize.

As we sometimes stumble through our daily lives, we might take notice that much of our time is spent inside. While many activities do require being indoors, many of our daily activities can actually be spent outdoors. Take time to think about the last time you were indoors and could have been outside instead: talking with a friend, scrolling through your phone or maybe even doing homework.

There are plenty of places around the community that can provide you with the benefits of being outside. However many of us have busy schedules during the week; just being in your backyard for 30 minutes is often enough. Some benefits of being outside include:

1. Relieves stress

2. Helps calm yourself

3. Way of exercising (if moving)

4. Helps keep you happy and your brain working

5. Way to unplug yourself from electronics

6. It can make you smile more!

While there are many other additional benefits, these are some of the key reasons why teenagers specifically should be spending more time with nature. Take a walk outside, go to the beach, watch the sunrise–just spend 30 minutes to 1 hour outside and you’ll feel fresher and more relaxed. So much can be done outside that you may think needs to be done within the comfort of your home. By transitioning from the indoors to outdoors for daily activities such as doing homework, reading a book, working out, or hanging out with friends, you will be spending more time outside while also doing what you may “not have time for” to go outside otherwise.

If you like more scenery–and are in the mood for a more relaxing vibe–nature preserves are a great way to get some fresh air and be able to admire the beauty of the outdoors. LFOLA and LBOLA both have many preserves within the community, with easy access and a relatively close proximity to us in distance. Even if it is cold, the outdoors should be appreciated and the changes in weather (or lack of change) should not be the determining factor of whether you should/should not be outside.

Try swapping out some of your activities inside to the outdoors, or add more time outdoors do your daily schedule, however brief it may be. With the warmer seasons approaching, it can be even more exciting to spend time outside and just help with overall positivity in the mind and help your health.

You’d be surprised to see what a small change in your life brings forth such a great difference. Step outside, take a look around, and re-fresh and re-charge before Spring Break arrives.