Welcome to June!
We hope the first few days of this new month have been good to you and you have some exciting, sunny plans lined up for the weeks ahead.
As we keep our fingers crossed for a lovely British summer this year, our thoughts tend to drift towards outdoor activities. Sun drenched hikes, lazy days spent sunbathing or barbecuing and day trips to the seaside. It’s easier to motivate yourself to get out for some fresh air when the weather is on your side. But what about when those days turn a little grey?
Getting your daily dose of daylight can feel a bit more chore-like when the summer showers make an appearance. Cool days and jumpers seem to go hand in hand with curling up on the sofa, which is great, but it’s still important we get our nature fix before retreating inside. Why is this so important? Well, it’s funny you should ask…
- Stress reduction! We could all use a little less stress in our lives, for the sake of our physical health and our wellbeing in general. Being surrounded by nature is really grounding and can help ease any tension and anxieties.
- Exercise! If you’re outdoors, the chances are that you’re moving around and being active. Maybe you’re playing rounders in the park or walking your dog through the woods, either way this is fantastic news for your health and good mood.
- Breathing! By getting outside and breathing full breathes of fresh air, you’re really doing your lungs a favour. Breathing deeply like this helps to really get the oxygen going, giving your cells a boost whilst cleansing and reviving.
- Creativity! Immersing yourself in nature is a guaranteed way to fire up your creativity and give you the inspiration needed to undertake certain creative tasks. Indulge your creative flair by getting out into the wild.
- Improved sleep! Our internal body clock is naturally tied to the sun’s schedule, which means that spending too much time indoors can really play havoc with these rhythms. Early morning sunlight exposure can help your sleep cycle get back on track if you’ve been struggling with your shut eye!
- Vitamin D! Essential to maintaining a healthy immune system, this hormone can also help to protect you from a number of illnesses, such as osteoporosis. As an Aussie who knows a thing of two about the importance of vitamin D, Andrea has written extensively about it on our blog, have a read for much more information on why sunlight exposure is so important.
We could go on and on about the importance of getting away from your screens and embracing the outdoors. It could well be the simplest and most accessible therapy of them all. Whether you prefer the beach or the forest, a park or your back garden, we can all benefit from losing our thoughts in nature a little more often.
Enjoy your first weekend of June and remember, whatever the weather, rain or shine, get yourself outside and soak up the beauty of the outdoors.