Boosting Mental Health by Getting Outdoors
TLDR: Spending time outdoors - even in poor weather - boosts physical and mental health, reduces stress and anxiety, and strengthens relationships. Group outdoor activities like scavenger hunts provide exercise, social connection, and mental challenges that build happier, healthier, more resilient teams.
Most times we think of “body” and “mind” as separate entities when in fact, one does impact the other and vice versa. Poor physical health can lead to an increased risk of developing mental health problems. Similarly, poor mental health can negatively impact our physical health. In the past decade, there’s been a growing necessity to heal psychological symptoms when treating physical conditions as they are intertwined.
The Covid-19 pandemic was proved to challenge both our mental and physical wellbeing as we had to adjust ourselves to being stuck in doors during a glorious Summer. The lack of social interaction and the limited time we spend outside negatively impacted our overall well-being. To regain mental and physical health it’s necessary to lock in healthy habits and restore a balanced routine.
We can all take benefit from being outdoors and enjoying the company of our loved ones. We are passionate supporters of mental and physical health and nurture the idea that a light-hearted, outdoor event is the perfect occasion to exercise both. Research has shown that just a couple of hours a day spent outside can greatly improve our moods, alleviating feelings of stress and anxiety, so it’s important that even when the sky is cloudy and we’d love to stay tucked into our duvets watching soap operas from ten years ago, we take time to brave the outdoors.
Our Scavenger Hunts run all year long despite of the weather conditions – rain, snow or sun our fellow scavengers always have a good time and come back to the base smiling and chatting about their experiences on the event. It’s easy to get lazy and let things we have no control over, like the weather, dictate what we do and how we feel, and sometimes all you need is a little push outside your doorstep to feel reinvigorated and ready to tackle the day. Our Scavenger Hunts are a great way to get feel-good endorphins pumping and keep your mind active with challenging riddles and cryptic clues.
Creating happy, lasting memories and nurture relationships has never been more important, and it is vital to our overall wellbeing. Making the most of our surroundings and close people can be beneficial to our mental health and spur us to keep an active, balanced lifestyle. Events that promote physical activity outdoors that can be done in teams and groups are a great way to gain optimal physical and mental health – a happy, healthy team is a more productive, resilient team.