Getting some fresh air every day is easier said than done. Work, school, housework etc., often mean it’s easy to go to bed in the evening and realise you’ve spent next to no time outside.
A lot of information suggests that spending time outside has wide-ranging benefits. These benefits include helping sleep, improving your mental health, topping up your vitamin D, boosting your creativity and improving your immunity.
Research conducted by Ambius in 2018 found that approximately 40% of UK office workers spend a maximum of 15 minutes outside a day. This excluded people’s commute to work. An additional 22% of people spent a maximum of 30 minutes outside.
If you’re one of the above stats, it might be time to get outside more often and breathe some fresh air. Here are four ways to spend more time outdoors.
If you’ve got a phone call, why not take it outside and squeeze in a quick stroll while you chat away? Whether work or personal, it’s a great way to create mini outdoor breaks.
Got a meeting scheduled? Well, grab your notebook, head outside and talk business. It’ll relax the tone of the meeting and can spark your creativity, so you may just come up with that great idea.
If you can eat outside for your lunch break or step out for your tea breaks, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can rack up the minutes. Also, you may be surprised how many people start to join you after a short time.
If you have a laptop, why not head outside and work? Even just for a short period of time. You may find you can still connect to the works wi-fi if you can sit close enough to the office. If not, go outside for a short time to finish those tasks that don’t need an internet connection.
These small ideas can help you increase the time spent outside during a working day. Plus, you still have time in the mornings and evenings. For example, many people will go for a short walk in the morning before work. Then, in the summer, you may find time and light left to spend some time in the garden or head to a park and get some fresh air into your lungs.