Let’s Sit In The Grass

The longer I practice social work and maybe just the longer I am on this planet, I have appreciated more and more leaning in the simpler acts that provide the most benefit.  While it seems so obvious and basic, I notice having more and more conversations with clients about the benefits of getting outside.   The structure of our world keeps us inside too much through work, school, and being tired at the end of the day.  We take for granted the benefits of being in nature.  An article by WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-health-benefits-nature) stresses some of the benefits such as vitamin D, which is good for your immune system and sunlight keep serotonin levels up.  Being outside is a natural anxiety reducer.  According to this article being outside improves self-esteem, and creativity.  

Being outside can be a very grounding experience, it connects our bodies, minds and five senses.  We get to smell the grass and flowers, we get to touch the tree, we feel the sunlight, we hear the birds and bugs, we feel our lungs expand as we breath fresh air.  Being in nature for at least a few minutes a day is often a pretty simple way to help quiet our brains, check in with our bodies, and give a moment to appreciate all the beauty around us.  As I continue to say to more clients these days, lets go outside and sit in the grass.