by Selena Randall
The past few weekends have been a busy time for me in the garden. With the inevitable approach of winter, I have been harvesting the last remaining vegetables, weeding our vegetable plot, raking leaves and layering on compost. I am determined that we will be ready for spring the minute it arrives next year!
Being forced outside to garden has given me the opportunity to think about what it is to be outside. On Thanksgiving, when it was cool and overcast, I found it hard to put the effort in and I didn't really enjoy myself. But the following day, the sun made the remaining yellow leaves on the trees positively glow, and I found the digging easy - I must be solar-powered! But on both days, I got a lot done and could see the efforts of my labour from my kitchen window, and through the produce stored or processed in the fridge, cold store and freezer. I also came in warm, with rosy cheeks and ready for a hot drink and home-made cake having earned the calories.
I get outside every day - our large, energetic dog has to be walked, and I have to walk a distance from my car to my office. Come rain or shine, humidity or snow, wind or calm, I dress for the weather and head out. So I did some research into the benefits I might be getting.
Concentration - there is plenty of evidence that spending time outside and especially in the natural environment helps improve concentration abilities. This is especially beneficial for those with attention deficit disorders eg. ADHD.
Memory - research at University of Michigan showed 20% improvements in memory function in those spending an hour outside each day.
Healing - some studies have shown that people who get outside take fewer medications when they are recovering from illness/injury.
Mood - time in natural light lifts the mood. At the extreme end this can help with depression, but we can all benefit from feeling relaxed and having a smile on our face, for free.
Vitamins - we've all heard the hype about Vitamin D, and yes it's hard to absorb Vitamin D when we are covered up in winter, but a little exposure is better than none, and better than pills. Plus, being active outside helps maintain healthy bones which store the Vitamin.
Money - yes, believe it or not you can save money! You don't need to heat/cool the house so much if you are not in it, and you don't have the lights on or the stereo or TV, and going for a walk with the dog, or a friend or family member is very cheap entertainment.
Environment – being outside helps you appreciate your world more and want to do the right thing by it. If you are making the most of your outside environment and not using energy to heat or cool is good for the environment too!