Outdoor Activities That Will Make You Feel Good
- Sagarika Murali
- Sep 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Why is it important to do outdoor activities?
Outdoor activities can help to improve your health and it can lower the risk of obesity and other weight-related problems that many families face today. In addition, outdoor activities can help to improve your mental health as a result of doing physical activity. Being outdoors for a bit of time everyday can help to reduce the amount of time you spend on electronics and it helps to reduce the risk of an inactive lifestyle. Studies have shown that being outdoors can also help to relax your mind and body. This increases your focus and emotions like pleasure. Being outdoors can also steer you in the direction of doing outdoor activities such as walking, biking, hiking, or kayaking. This will improve your physical health.
How can they make you feel better and improve your mental health?
It has been proved that being outdoors can help you sleep better at night, which helps you to feel well rested and ready for the day the next morning. Being outdoors helps you to relax which helps to increase happy feelings and it can also help to increase your focus. Nature can also help you to escape everyday chores and demands that might stress you out. Regularly being outdoors has been linked to lower risks of depression and anxiety and increased attention and focus.
What are examples of outdoor activities that can boost your mood?
Whether you are looking to stay close to home or go out somewhere, here are some outdoor activities you can try:
You can do a scavenger hunt by looking for something that starts with a specific letter, has a specific color, or something you can use to do a certain task.
You can do leaf rubbings by finding leaves with interesting patterns and using colored pencils to color them.
You can plant vegetables or plant seeds in order to make your own garden.
Taking a walk, no matter how the duration, can help you to get fresh air and clear your mind. By doing this, you might be able to solve any pressing problems more effectively.
Even if you have just five minutes, go outside and stand in the sun, letting your face feel the heat, and take off your shoes to let your feet feel the grass. If the weather is not great, then take a few minutes to just gaze at the scenery around you.
If you have half an hour, you could eat your lunch outside or spend some time outdoors in your yard.
You could set up a picnic outside and eat your food while gazing at the scenery around you.
You could rent a kayak or canoe on a nearby waterbody.
You could bike around your neighborhood or on a walking trail.
You could grab a book and find a nice, shady tree to sit under.
You can go bird watching at a nearby state park or wildlife habitat.
What are the benefits you can gain from doing outdoor activities?
Being outdoors has been proven to boost your creativity and problem-solving skills. Doing outdoor activities can also help to improve your physical health. Being in nature can lower your cortisol levels, muscle tensions, heart rate, and blood pressure. It also leads to a lower chance of heart disease. Being outdoors can also increase your Vitamin D levels which is important for your bones, blood cells, and immune system. Nature can help to decrease anxiety levels and help to lessen the amount of stress you have to deal with. For example, there was a study conducted in Denmark where they examined 900,000 residents who were born between 1985 and 2003. This study showed that children who live in neighborhoods with more nature are less likely to develop mental disorders compared to those who live in neighborhoods with little to no nature. Daily exposure to nature can also regulate your sleep cycles.
Sources:
https://reflectoes.com/blogs/news/leisure-outdoor-activities-embrace-adventure-in-natures-playground
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