Go Outside And Play

Everyone in my generation heard that. It was what our parents would tell us all summer long. They believed it was good for our creative minds to entertain ourselves outside. And they also didn’t want us in the way. :-)Some of you probably need to be told that as an adult. “Go outside and play!”I grew up fishing and hunting and hiking. I believe God created nature to be our habitat and the further we have removed ourselves from it, the more emotional and psychiatric problems we have developed. You might not consider yourself an outdoor person, but it’s important for your own well-being to enjoy creation. Get outside!Here in Chicagoland, for a good 4-5 months, it’s hard to enjoy the outdoors. So now, when the weather is good, get to a park and walk, bike, or run the trails weekly. Check out the Des Plaines River Trail or better yet, kayak or canoe the river itself. Stroll through the Chicago Botanic Garden.Here’s why:

• Nature improves our emotional state. People who get outdoors have lower stress indicators, less anxiety and fewer struggles with depression. Going to Busse Woods and spending time at the pond or in the woods will actually help you fight depression. God’s creation realigns our outlook and strengthens us to handle the stresses of life.
• Nature improves our mental state. A study done at the University of Michigan found that people performing memory and attention tests improved their scores by 20 percent after walking through an arboretum. Think about it, you would actually become smarter by getting outside!
• Nature improves our physical health. This is partly due to the effect of the sound of rustling leaves, trickling water, and the visual tranquility of the outdoors reducing anxiety. People who spend time in nature enjoy better health. Researchers at Tokyo’s Nippon Medical School found that women who spent six hours in the woods over the course of two days had an increase in white blood cells, and it lasted over a week afterwards. Other benefits include lower heart rates, decreased blood pressure, reduced muscle tension, increased energy and better sleep.
• Nature improves our spiritual condition. Psalm 19 tells us that God’s creation declares his glory. Heroes of the Bible would regularly retreat into the wilderness to commune with God. Pick a Bible character and read their story and you’ll find them getting alone in nature where they met with God. Jesus did it all the time!

The natural world is the environment we were created to nestle in. It was tailor-made for us and we were made to be nurtured in its beauty. It feeds us, recharges us, and relaxes us. We are better when we retreat into it. It’s how God made us.So this summer, get outside and play! Do it often!