When was the last time you packed up the family truckster and took off for a weekend of camping with your clan? If you can’t recall the last time you and your family unplugged, it might be time to plan an outdoor adventure.
Getting out in nature has multiple benefits. It can improve your health and strengthen your relationship with those you hold most dear. Here’s how time outdoors can bring your family together.
1. Leave Big-City Stress Behind
The pandemic may have serious mental health consequences that science has recently begun to identify. Since April of 2020, 84% of Americans have reported symptoms of prolonged stress that can balloon into anxiety, depression, or both. All that pressure chips away at your state of mind, which may have caused a strain on your family over the past two years.
Going camping frees you from the ever-present clock and to-do list. Your stress levels naturally dissipate when you have nowhere to be at any particular time. You can kick back and breathe, restoring your sense of calm and balance, and making you more cheerful around those you love.
2. Improve Your Overall Health
Few things are worse than when a cold or flu rips through your whole family. Spending time outdoors might be the best way to boost your immune response, especially during the pandemic.
Sunlight helps your body produce natural vitamin D — in reality, a hormone. According to Dr. Fauci, one of America’s leading immunologists, this substance is critical to boosting immune function, and the stuff your body makes is far superior to what you’ll find on supplement shelves.
