In the age of the internet, it’s very easy to spend all your time inside. Whether it’s studying or doomscrolling, many activities now are electronic and are spent indoors. While it may be comfortable to be inside all day, spending time outdoors is crucial for strong mental and physical health.
A study done in 2019 examined the relationship between time spent in nature and self-reported health and well-being. People who spent at least 120 minutes per week outdoors, either through one long visit or several short ones, were significantly more likely to report good health and high well-being than those who didn’t.
“You don’t have to do anything special outside,” said James Butler, a manager in the Longhorn Wellness Center. “You can just go outside, the Turtle Pond, the mall, sit behind the amphitheater or the Alumni Center and study, hang out with friends, take a nap (or) meditate. Whatever it is you want to do, you get the benefit.”
On average, Americans spend over 90% of their time indoors. Spending so much time inside has become normalized so that many of us don’t realize how much it impacts our energy and moods. Constant exposure to artificial light and screens can leave us overstimulated yet strangely drained. If we can replace just a small part of that indoor time with simple outdoor moments, it can make a noticeable difference. Nature offers a change of scenery that helps us slow down, reset and reconnect with the world beyond a screen.
Government senior Emma Hunt reflects on her experience with the addition of outdoor climbing to her life.
“When I got to college, I realized that I would use doom scrolling as a coping mechanism,” Hunt said. “I would watch people go out and do things with their lives rather than doing it myself. … I figured out I can do all these things that I’m seeing on my phone. … (I am) a lot stronger now.”
Towards the end of high school, I spent most of my time indoors. I moved away halfway through junior year, and when I wasn’t on campus, I was in my room doing homework or doomscrolling. While moving was isolating enough already, confining myself to my bedroom made my problems worse. Coming to college, however, I’ve learned to integrate outdoor time into my daily life through studying, coffee runs or just a leisurely stroll. Now, I feel more refreshed than I did back in high school when I was always inside.
“There’s no one right way to like spend time outside,” Butler said. “(I) encourage our students to listen to yourself and do what’s going to feel best for you in that moment.”
College life can be demanding and challenging, and it’s easy to be inside all the time. However, implementing just a little extra time per day outdoors can drastically improve your mental and physical health. The outdoors don’t require perfection; climbing mountains like Hunt or even just sitting outside between classes is much more beneficial than an extra hour behind a screen.
Put down your phone, get some fresh air and let the world remind you it’s bigger than your bedroom.
Cintron is a journalism sophomore from Houston, Texas.
