After a week of snowy days and below-freezing temperatures, warm spring days are just what we need. As Cincinnati begins reaching temperatures of up to 60 degrees, sidewalks, playgrounds, and backyards fill up with people soaking in the sun. In addition to the many physical benefits that come from a quick walk around the block or hike in the woods, simply being outside has many benefits for mental health.

Feeling stressed? Time spent outside has the power to lessen the symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety. This is all due to the reaction your body has to natural light. When exposed to natural light, your body begins producing vitamin D and serotonin. These both play a crucial role in boosting moods and decreasing anxiety.

A 2019 Frontiers in Psychology study strived to prove that spending a little bit of time in nature can lower stress hormone levels. The study began by asking 36 different people to spend at least 10 minutes outside three days a week for eight weeks in different outdoor settings. Before and after their time outside, they gave saliva samples in order to measure the stress hormone known as cortisol.  From just the little amount of time they spent outside, a huge drop in cortisol levels occurred. The next time you are experiencing stress, heading outside, even just for a few minutes, will help to relieve it.

Another product of spending time outdoors is better sleep habits. Melatonin, the hormone that controls sleep, is produced much more efficiently in artificial light than natural light. This is why spending the entire day inside makes you feel very drowsy.

Similar to the study about stress, Kenneth Wright, a professor at the University of Colorado, performed a study to test the theory that nature can reset circadian rhythms to the amount of sleep we actually need. Wright found that a week of camping in nature with no technology caused a huge shift in melatonin compared to a typical week at home. All of the campers became tired earlier than they normally would and went to bed before their usual bedtime.

Last but not least, getting outside can actually improve your ability to focus in all aspects of life. The University of Melbourne concluded from research that simply looking at greenery can improve your ability to concentrate. You don’t even have to be outside to benefit from the power of nature!

To test this theory, researchers assigned each subject a boring, two-minute computer task. 40 seconds in, the subjects were each shown a picture. Half of them saw an image of a boring concrete roof while the other half saw a roof filled with flowers. Once the subjects returned to the computer task, those who saw the greenery did not make as many errors as those who saw the plain roof and overall demonstrated better focus.

All of these studies are the best encouragement to incorporate some time outside into your everyday life. Next time you need a little midday boost or help to get your sleep schedule back on track go for a quick walk around the block–you will surely reap the benefits.