By: Collin McKenna, Outdoor Recreation editor
Photos by: Mckenna Bone
American society grows busier and more stressful with each passing day. Rapid advancements in technology along with demanding work schedules have led to people spending quite a bit of time behind a screen, where an average American spends about 10 hours a day.
With the public spending less and less time outside and more time behind a screen, depression rates have climbed significantly over the last few years.
In 2005, only 6.6 percent of Americans had been diagnosed with depression. That number slowly climbed to 7.3 percent in 2015. Since then, those numbers have drastically increased. In the five-year span from 2015 to 2020, the number of people in the United States diagnosed with depression rose to just under 10 percent.
Simply being outside can help alleviate the stresses of daily life as well as relieve some of the feelings of depression, even if it is a somewhat temporary fix. There have been dozens of studies conducted that show that even taking a walk outside does wonders to boost a person’s mood.
Going outside makes it easier to take a break and feel calmer. It also helps to lower feelings of stress or anger. (Mckenna Bone, April 12).
“When I’m outside, it just allows me to enter a sort of flow state where I’m entirely in the present moment,” Colorado Mesa University junior Cody Fark said. “There’s almost nothing better.”
Boosting a person’s mood is not the only benefit that spending time outside has.
Spending time outside has also been linked to improved concentration, decreased stress, and even improved cognitive abilities.
In a study done by Australian researchers, two groups of students were asked to perform the dull task of pressing a computer key when a certain number flashed on screen. Midway through the task, the students were given a 40-second break. One group was instructed to look at a flowering green rooftop during this break, while the other was told to look at a concrete roof for that time.
Those who got to just look at nature did much better at the task, making far fewer mistakes than those who were told to look at the concrete roof during their break.
There’s a reason most schools give children recess. In addition to being an easy way for schools to give teachers their mandatory break time, recess helps calm kids down so they can focus more easily.
The United States is seeing a rise in ADHD cases among its children; not so coincidentally, this rise in ADHD diagnoses is happening at the same time as a push for longer computer classes and less recess time.
“I remember as a kid I always felt more ready to do schoolwork after recess,” sophomore Megan Lederman said. “Even now I always feel more focused on what I need to do after I’ve been outside for a few minutes.”
Residents in the Grand Junction area especially are lucky. There is a plethora of things to do outside around here, and that means plenty of easy opportunities for the people that live here to enjoy some time in nature, even if they aren’t diagnosed with depression, ADHD, or other disorders.
Exposure to nature has been connected to a wide range of benefits, including physical activity, establishing social connections, and lowering stress. These benefits can range from a stroll in a city park to hiking in the wilderness. (Mckenna Bone, April 12).
“I’m a very healthy guy, but when I feel too stressed, I make it a priority to just go outside. It helps me to clear my mind and refocus so I can do my best work when I eventually go back inside,” Grand Junction resident Kyle Williams said.
Being outside doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be an all-day ordeal, and there doesn’t even need to be a planned activity for it to be a fun experience. It’s just important to get outside.
Humans were meant for nature. They evolved in nature, have learned about nature, and have depended upon nature for their entire existence. Humans are wild animals, and being outside is a primal instinct.
So go outside. Have whatever fun you want. Frolic. Hike barefoot. Wade in a creek.
Go enjoy nature and connect with it. Go out and explore where the wild things are, because you just might find that you are a wild thing yourself.
blockpartygj.net 