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This article is written by The Healthy Patron.
According to Henry David Thoreau, “We can never have enough of nature.” Recent studies not only prove this, but they are proving how being in nature can improve your mental health.
One of the best ways to enjoy nature is to go camping. It allows us to unwind from the modern day stresses we experience and rejuvenate our energy levels.
Below we will list a few benefits of camping and your mental health. Once you read through these we hope you decide to spend a weekend out in nature. We have and we think it helps.
1. Camping can help lower stress and reduce symptoms of depression
According to David G. Pearson and Tony Craig, being in or near greenspace has been shown to lower levels of stress and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety.
You can get more exposure to greenspace by going on a camping trip, going on hike, or even moving to an area with more greenspace. So, you don’t necessarily have to go camping to help yourself unwind. You can take a day trip to a park, or visit a national park you’ve always wanted to go to.
The one aspect of camping that is greater than going to a park is the ability to unwind from and block out our modern day world. When you camp, you often don’t have cell service, so you can’t constantly check your phone for new notifications, or scroll mindlessly through instagram. A recent article by Forbes, shows how our phones and social media are taking a toll on our minds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What’s more, spending time in nature itself has a surprisingly positive impact on our emotional wellbeing. Research shows that being in green surroundings significantly lowers your stress levels, reduces feelings of depression and eases mental fatigue.
So taking a trip outside could be a big step for your overall mental health.
2. Camping can increase focus and energy levels
Outside of lowering stress levels and reducing symptoms of depression, nature has other restorative properties. The Ontario Parks blog believes nature can improve our focus and increase energy levels. That’s partly because camping is one of the best ways to reset your biological clock. A small study showed that campers naturally fell asleep and woke up earlier than usual, synching up their body clock with nature’s daily rhythm.
Improving focus and energy levels can go a long way in our modern day world. So, if you feel like you’re in a rut at work, or you just need to mix things up, a camping trip could be just the thing your body and mind needs.
3. Less screen time can be good for you
We briefly mentioned above how using your phone less can help with your mental health. More studies are continuing to come out and prove this including one from The Huffington Post.
Research shows us that people who constantly check their phone could be facing mental health problems. Our phones and other digital devices take us away from the real world connections our bodies crave. Putting these devices down can help establish these real world connections and get our minds in a better state.
4. Camping can make us more active
When we camp we are more prone to explore nature and this can help increase our physical activity. This is another great tool we can use to help boost our mental health. A study by Science Daily shows us that people who are active or exercising, experience 1.5 fewer days in a poor mental state of mind, when comparing them to those who do not exercise.
With all of these studies we can start to realize the many ways camping, or simply being outdoors can help our state of mind.
5. Additional benefits of camping and the great outdoors
As you can see, when it comes to camping, the benefits are many. Unfortunately, many people are unwilling to step foot in the great outdoors to experience these benefits. So, to help you shut your screen down here are some additional benefits of camping:
- Higher levels of confidence and self-esteem,
- Increased levels of family bonding,
- Lower anger levels,
- Better sleep, and
- Memories to cherish for a lifetime.
Final thoughts
Even if we tried, we’re not sure if we could cover all the benefits of camping in one article. The number is many and it continues to grow. Through this post we hope you gain some inspiration to take a camping trip, or a trip to your local park.
By doing this we think you might just be surprised as to how you feel after. So, why not give it a try? This could be the break your mind and body needs.
Author bio: The Healthy Patron is a health and nutrition news site. We aim to provide the most updated health information and product reviews across the web. Follow The Healthy Patron on Facebook and Twitter.
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