In an ever-moving, and incredibly busy, world, we often forget to stop and enjoy the little things that our surrounding planet has to offer. As a society that, largely, has been drawn indoors more and more due to new technologies, jobs, and school work, we have also become a society that appreciates nature less and less; we have become a society that enjoys the benefits of nature far less than in the past and the outside world has a large amount of benefits that can help all of us live a happier, and more appreciative, life.

Even though most people would probably agree that incorporating nature into your day can help lift moods, most do not know that a simple 20-30 minutes in nature or even just stopping to appreciate a cluster of gorgeous flowers can boost happiness levels significantly. A few minutes embracing the outdoors can not only improve moods and increase happiness, but can also help boost other aspects of life as well.

For many, time spent with nature can become a spiritual practice and can become their method of spiritual worship. Relaxation, peace, and calm can be found for people throughout their time with nature. Some turn to nature as a place to meditate, lower stress, appreciate life, and re-center themselves, while others turn to the outdoors as a way to look introspectively and learn about themselves.

While some turn to nature for a more spiritual approach or guidance, others turn to it for health benefits. As most know, sunlight is quite beneficial to most living-beings and assists in a healthier lifestyle. Vitamin D, which humans can attain from time spent in sunlight, has been known to help prevent osteoporosis and cancers. More time with plants can even help boost our immune systems! Depending on skin tone, just a quick ten to twenty minutes in sunlight can significantly assist in preventing diseases.

Along with physical health benefits, time with nature can have a huge impact on the mental health of humans. Just a short 30 minutes outside a day can boost happiness, lower anxiety and depression, increase productivity, have fewer issues sleeping, reduce stress, and create more energy. There’s nothing nature cannot help improve!

While we all wish to find a little more time to spend outside, it’s amazing how even a few minutes here and there can help improve our daily lives in so many ways. So, while you may not be able to stroll though your local town park or hike around a national park every day of the week, try incorporating 10 more minutes of sunlight into your day or stopping to appreciate the roses while grabbing your mail; it’s amazing what a few extra minutes outdoors can do for us all.