Spend Time Outdoors

“Spend Time Outdoors” is a practical wellbeing strategy.

It can overlap with:

• Behavioral Activation
• Mindfulness
• Present-Moment Focus
• Exercise / Movement
• Recharge / Unplug
• Self-Care
• Social Connection

Much of the research on mental wellbeing specifically examines:

• Parks
• Green space
• Forests
• Gardens
• Blue spaces such as rivers, lakes, or coastlines

Simply being outdoors does not automatically mean you are in a natural environment.

A city sidewalk can still provide:

• Daylight
• Movement
• A change of setting
• Contact with other people

while a park or natural setting may add more direct contact with nature.

Outdoor time can be one part of supporting wellbeing.

It is not a substitute for needed:

• Medical care
• Mental-health treatment
• Medication
• Crisis support

You can use outdoor time alongside other forms of care.

You do not need:

• A hiking trail
• A national park
• A camping trip
• Special equipment

You might have access to:

• A porch
• A balcony
• A courtyard
• A sidewalk
• A bench
• A nearby park

Use what is realistically available.

If leaving the house feels difficult, your goal might be:

“Step outside for five minutes.”

You can always stay longer if you want to.

There is no requirement that every outdoor break become a long outing.

If you have been in the same:

• Room
• Office
• Classroom
• Bed

for a long time, stepping outside changes what your senses have to work with.

You may encounter:

• Different light
• Different sounds
• Moving air
• Plants
• People
• Animals
• A wider visual space

That change alone may interrupt some of the feeling of being stuck in one place.

You might go outside and still feel:

• Sad
• Anxious
• Angry
• Tired

That does not mean the activity failed.

Outdoor time can provide a change of setting without erasing the emotion you brought outside with you.

You might notice:

• Trees
• Grass
• Clouds
• Birds
• Water
• Flowers
• Wind
• Changes in light

You do not need a dramatic landscape for nature to be present.

Instead of asking:

“Am I calmer yet?”

try noticing:

• How the leaves are moving
• What the clouds look like
• How the air feels
• Which sounds are closest
• Which sounds are farthest away

This can turn outdoor time into a form of Present-Moment Focus.

When you feel depressed, leaving the house can feel like far more effort than it normally would.

You may gradually spend less time:

• Moving
• Around other people
• Doing enjoyable activities
• Changing environments

A small amount of outdoor time can be one Behavioral Activation step.

Instead of:

“I need to go for a long walk,”

try:

“I need to put my shoes on and stand outside.”

Then reassess.

One Small Step can help if getting outside feels overwhelming.

If movement feels like too much, you can:

• Sit
• Read
• Listen to music
• Eat outside
• Watch what is happening around you

Outdoor time and exercise are separate choices.

If your attention is locked onto:

• Worry
• Future scenarios
• Rumination

look outward.

Find:

• Three things moving
• Three different sounds
• Three colors
• One thing you had not noticed before

The goal is not to prove the worry wrong.

It is to broaden what your attention is taking in.

Notice:

• Your feet against the ground
• The temperature of the air
• The feeling of the sun or shade
• The sounds around you
• Your breathing while you stand or walk

Grounding can give outdoor time a clearer focus when anxiety is high.

You might:

• Walk around the block
• Walk through a park
• Walk a dog
• Walk with another person

Outdoor walking can combine:

• Movement
• A change of environment
• Daylight
• Present-moment attention

Do not turn:

“Spend time outdoors”

into:

“I have to exercise.”

Sitting on a bench can meet a different need from taking a long walk.

Choose based on your current:

• Energy
• Mobility
• Health
• Goals

If you have been:

• Working at a desk
• Studying
• Looking at screens
• Doing household tasks

try moving a break outside.

You may:

• Sit
• Stretch
• Walk
• Have a drink or snack

while deliberately not doing the task you are taking a break from.

If possible, resist turning the entire outdoor break into another:

planning session.

Try:

“The problem will still be there when I return. For ten minutes, I am just outside.”

You might ask someone to:

• Take a walk
• Sit in a park
• Eat outside
• Go to a farmers market
• Garden
• Attend an outdoor event

Having an activity can reduce the pressure to make conversation the entire focus.

Sometimes you may not want direct social interaction but also do not want complete isolation.

Sitting in:

• A park
• A courtyard
• An outdoor cafe
• A community space

may let you be around others without requiring much interaction.

This is not the same as close social connection, but it may feel less isolating.

For some people, outdoor places connect with:

• Beauty
• Curiosity
• Adventure
• Spirituality
• Animals
• Environmental values
• Memories

If that is true for you, outdoor time may be more than simply:

“something healthy I'm supposed to do.”

Some people simply do not feel especially connected to nature.

That is okay.

Outdoor time is one option among many, not a requirement for wellbeing.

Studies examine many different forms of:

• Green-space access
• Nature visits
• Outdoor activity
• Gardening
• Nature-based programs

with different:

• Lengths
• Frequencies
• Populations
• Settings

Avoid turning one number from one study into:

a universal prescription.

You might begin with:

• Five minutes outside
• One meal outside
• A short walk
• One park visit this week

Then notice whether you want to make outdoor time a more regular part of your routine.

Outdoor activity can be affected by:

• Neighborhood safety
• Mobility
• Transportation
• Weather
• Air quality
• Work schedules
• Caregiving
• Access to parks or sidewalks

Those are practical circumstances, not evidence that someone is failing at self-care.

Depending on your situation, that might mean:

• A balcony
• A shaded doorway
• An accessible paved path
• A courtyard
• A nearby bench
• An indoor space with windows or natural views when going out is not practical

Work with the environment you actually have.

Pay attention to:

• Heat
• Cold
• Storms
• Smoke
• Poor air quality
• Ice

The goal is not:

“Go outside no matter what.”

Use basic judgment about whether conditions are safe for you.

Consider:

• Going earlier or later when temperatures are lower
• Using shade
• Taking breaks
• Drinking enough water
• Choosing a shorter outing

If you feel:

• Faint
• Weak
• Confused
• Seriously unwell

stop the activity and respond to the heat concern.

Outdoor time does not require deliberately exposing your skin to large amounts of ultraviolet radiation.

Too much UV exposure increases skin-cancer risk.

Depending on conditions, consider:

• Shade
• Protective clothing
• A hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen

You can receive the benefits of outdoor time without treating sunburn as part of the experience.

Smoke, wildfire conditions, ozone, or other air pollution can make outdoor activity less safe.

People with:

• Asthma
• Heart disease
• Lung disease
• Other vulnerabilities

may need particular care during poor air quality.

Adjust or postpone the outdoor activity when conditions make that appropriate.

A beautiful location may not feel restorative if you are worried about:

• Traffic
• Harassment
• Crime
• Getting lost
• Falling
• Wildlife

Choose an environment appropriate to:

• Your comfort
• Your mobility
• The time of day
• Your experience

If going somewhere alone feels difficult, ask:

“Want to come with me?”

Company can add:

• Safety
• Motivation
• Connection

If walking is:

• Painful
• Difficult
• Not accessible

outdoor time can still include:

• Sitting outside
• Using an accessible park area
• Spending time in a garden
• Using an outdoor wheelchair-accessible path

The coping skill is not a walking test.

A low-capacity version might simply be:

“Sit outside for five minutes.”

You do not need to turn outdoor time into exertion when your body needs rest.

Outdoor spaces can include:

• Traffic
• Bright sun
• Crowds
• Wind
• Insects
• Loud children or animals

If those things make you more overwhelmed, choose:

• A quieter time
• A different location
• A shaded area
• A shorter visit

You might:

• Wear sunglasses
• Use ear protection when appropriate
• Choose a quieter route
• Avoid the busiest time
• Bring water

The goal is a workable experience, not proving you can tolerate unnecessary discomfort.

Ask:

“What am I already doing that could sometimes happen outside?”

Maybe:

• Drink your morning coffee outside
• Eat lunch outdoors
• Make a phone call while walking
• Read outside
• Take your work break outdoors
• Walk part of an errand

For example:

“After lunch, I go outside for ten minutes.”

Or:

“When I finish work, I walk around the block before settling in for the evening.”

Routine Building can help make the behavior easier to repeat.

Your phone may be useful for:

• Music
• Safety
• Navigation
• Talking with someone
• Taking photographs

Outdoor time does not need to become a technology purity test.

If you step outside and spend the entire time answering the same:

• Messages
• Emails
• Notifications

that you were handling inside, you may not get much of a break from the demand.

Consider putting some of those things aside temporarily.

Some people enjoy:

• Cool weather
• Rain
• Heat
• Wind

Others do not.

You do not need to turn discomfort into a character-building exercise.

Choose the:

time, place, clothing, and duration

that fit you.

If illness, disability, unsafe conditions, or other barriers keep you indoors, consider:

• Sitting near a window
• Opening a window when safe and appropriate
• Looking at trees or sky
• Caring for plants
• Listening to nature sounds

This is not identical to spending time outdoors.

It can still provide some change in:

attention and surroundings.

If safe outdoor space is not available, that is an environmental limitation.

Choose another accessible coping strategy rather than blaming yourself for not using this one.

You do not need to look at a tree and feel:

transformed, grateful, peaceful, or inspired.

Maybe you simply notice:

“The air feels good.”

Or:

“It was nice to get out of the house.”

That can be enough.

Ask:

• Did I feel less confined?
• Did I notice anything interesting?
• Did movement feel good?
• Did my attention shift?
• Did I feel more connected or less isolated?
• Would I like to do this again?

Use the answers to decide whether outdoor time belongs in your own coping toolbox.

Step outside for five minutes.

Do not require yourself to:

• Exercise
• Relax
• Feel happy
• Accomplish anything

Simply notice what it is like to be somewhere different.

Notice:

See:
What colors, shapes, movement, or light do you notice?

Hear:
What sounds are near? What sounds are far away?

Feel:
What do you notice about temperature, air, clothing, or the ground?

Smell:
What scents are present?

Body:
What is happening in your body while you stand, sit, or walk?

Find three living things around you.

Examples:

• A tree
• A bird
• Grass
• An insect
• A person
• A dog

Spend a moment noticing each one.

Take one break that you would normally take indoors and move it outside.

For example:

• Coffee break
• Lunch
• Ten minutes between tasks

Compare how the break feels.

If you usually think outdoor time must involve physical activity, try:

simply sitting outside.

Stay long enough to notice what is happening around you.

Take a short walk without trying to maximize:

• Distance
• Speed
• Calories
• Steps

Let the purpose be:

being outside and moving.

Mindful Walking can add more structure if you want it.

Visit the same outdoor place:

• In the morning
• In the afternoon
• In the evening

Notice differences in:

• Light
• Temperature
• Sounds
• People
• Animals

This can make a familiar environment more interesting.

Invite someone to join you for:

• A short walk
• A park visit
• Coffee outside
• A meal outdoors

Let the activity provide some of the structure for being together.

Spend five minutes specifically noticing natural elements.

Then spend another five minutes outside however you normally would.

Ask:

“Did deliberately noticing my surroundings change the experience?”

There is no required answer.

Choose something easy to repeat.

For example:

“I drink my morning coffee outside three days this week.”

Or:

“I take one work break outside each afternoon.”

Keep it realistic enough that weather or one disrupted day does not turn it into a failure.

After spending time outside, ask:

1. What did I do?
2. How much effort did it require?
3. Did my body feel different afterward?
4. Did my attention change?
5. Did I enjoy anything?
6. Did I feel any more connected or engaged?
7. Would I choose this again?

Use the answers as information, not as a test you have to pass.

Reduce the requirement.

Instead of:

“Go for a walk,”

try:

“Stand outside for five minutes.”

If low mood is driving withdrawal, Behavioral Activation may help you take the first step.

Do not require a scenic destination.

Look for the best available option:

• A shaded sidewalk
• A courtyard
• A bench
• A small neighborhood park
• A porch or balcony

If the environment is unsafe or unpleasant, another coping strategy may be a better fit.

Do not push through dangerous heat for the sake of a coping skill.

Consider:

• An earlier or later time
• Shade
• A shorter outing
• An indoor alternative

Safety comes first.

Outdoor time is optional.

If smoke or pollution makes outdoor exposure unhealthy, stay somewhere with safer air and choose another coping activity.

Outdoor time is not an antidepressant that is expected to remove sadness after one outing.

Ask instead:

• Did I get out of bed or the house?
• Did I move at all?
• Did my attention shift?
• Did I experience anything pleasant or interesting?

Those can still be meaningful outcomes.

Ask what part is difficult.

Maybe:

• Crowds
• Traffic
• Being far from home
• Social anxiety
• Noise

Try a:

• Quieter location
• Shorter outing
• Familiar route
• Companion

rather than assuming all outdoor time will feel the same.

You do not need to.

Sit outside, use an accessible route, or choose another safe outdoor activity.

The goal is not distance.

Add something you enjoy.

You might:

• Listen to music
• Take photographs
• Walk with someone
• Bring a book
• Look for birds or plants
• Go somewhere new

Outdoor time does not require silently admiring nature.

Drop the performance goal.

You do not need a daily:

outdoor-time streak.

Use this skill when it actually fits what you need.

Movement can happen:

• Inside
• Outside
• At home
• At a gym

You can spend time outside while:

• Sitting
• Reading
• Talking
• Resting

Walking or exercise can be added, but they are not required.

You can spend time outdoors:

• Sitting
• Socializing
• Gardening
• Playing
• Walking

without deliberately practicing mindfulness.

Mindful Walking deliberately brings attention to:

• The body
• Movement
• Sensations
• The present environment

It can happen outdoors, but it does not have to.

Recharge / Unplug asks:

“What do I need a break from?”

Moving a break outside may give you:

• A different environment
• Less screen time
• Movement
• Natural surroundings

when those things feel restorative.

Grounding deliberately uses current sensory information to reconnect with:

the here and now.

Outside, you may notice:

• Air
• Temperature
• Sounds
• Colors
• The ground beneath you

You can deliberately turn outdoor time into Grounding when that is useful.