Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues may all be eased by some time in the great outdoors - especially when that's combined with exercise. This is to be expected, as both greenery and exercise are known to reduce stress. Research has shown that spending more time outdoors is linked to higher levels of concentration, creativity, and improved mental clarity. All of these perks lead to better work performance.

We’ll detail a few points for your effective understanding -

1. It’s Social

When you get outside your house, it’s not only Mother Nature you see. You also connect more with the people and places in your community. Human contact and a sense of community are important to your mental health. Plan a walking route to a friend’s house, and then to the park to do some exercise. Finish up at the local coffee shop. You might be surprised how good it makes you feel.

2. Feel Better about Yourself

As little as 5 minutes of outdoor activity can help improve your self-esteem. This is especially true if you’re near water or green space. And it’s not high-intensity exercise that does it best. More relaxed activity like a walk, bike ride, or work in the garden seems to work even better. Being outside can increase your endorphin levels, especially if you’re in a place that makes you feel happy. For some, that might be walking by a river, for others it may be spending time outside with friends, it may even be doing physical sports.

3. Improved Memory

Studies have found that spending time in nature can help improve memory functions – especially short-term memory. Research from the University of Michigan found that walking in a park or even viewing pictures of nature helped improve both memory and attention span. Walks in nature boosted working memory much more than walks in urban environments.

4. De-Stressing Effect

Something about being outside changes the expression of stress in the body. One study found that walks in the forest were specifically associated with decreased levels of anxiety and bad moods, and another found that outdoor walks could be "useful clinically as a supplement to existing treatments" for major depressive disorder.

‘When we spend time in these places the noises, textures, the light and smells of nature are a naturally conducive message for the brain to slow down. ‘An added advantage is that it also supports an increase of serotonin and dopamine. These are the feel-good hormones, helping you feel calmer and happier.’ Proximity to nature – whether that’s hiking in a vast open landscape, taking a stroll through a local park or surrounding ourselves with plants – helps us destress. The effect is so strong that just looking out of your window and observing greenery can lower stress levels.

5. Lessens Anxiety

Even a simple plant in the room, or pictures of nature, can make you feel less anxious, angry, and stressed. But it’s better if you get out of that room and go out. Exercise is good for anxiety too. But it’s even better if you do it outside, compared to inside a gym. Sunlight helps keep your serotonin levels up. This helps raise your energy and keeps your mood calm, positive, and focused. ‘Research shows that when people spend more time outside, it reduces anxiety levels and improves mood,’

6. Boosts Your Creativity

Do you have a knotty problem you can't solve? Struggling with writer's block? Spend time outside. Studies show that time in nature can boost your creative problem-solving abilities. This is partly because the outside world engages your attention in a quieter way that lets your attention refocus. The more time you spend, the bigger the benefit, but even just "getting out for some air" can nudge your brain into a new thought pattern. ‘Fresh air and space can give you a better perspective and has been proven many a time to be good for your well-being,’

7. Improved Concentration

It makes sense, if only for the bit of exercise you get when you do something outside. But studies show that it’s not just the activity, it’s the “greenness” of the outdoor space. In one study, kids with ADHD were able to concentrate better on a task after a walk in the park than they were after a walk through an urban area