Curious to know why we love nature so much? Because it has serious benefits and is seriously fun! From lowering stress levels to boosting your mood, keeping you healthier to helping you focus, it’s the cure-all we all need to tap into more. But don’t worry if you don’t have much time to get outside. Just 15 minutes with nature has been proven to have a major de-stress effect! Keep reading to learn about the many benefits of nature for your body and mind.
Boosts Your Mood
Feeling down? Here’show to boost your mood: Head to the beach, the woods, the park, or anywhere outdoors! Not only does being in the great outdoors make you happier, but one study found that it gives you a burst of energy, can help you sleep better, and countless other benefits! That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to get an instant boost of happy by spending more time with nature! And we’re spreading the word for our movement with #NatureReset.
Helps You De-Stress
Between school pressure, social media, drama with friends, and so much more, it’s no wonder that daily life can get stressful. The good news: A few minutes with nature can help lower stress levels! Specifically, scientists have found that hanging out in nature decreases heart rate and lowers levels of the body’s stress hormone called cortisol. Hello instant feeling of calm! But what can you do if you can’t be IN nature? Try being WITH it!
Watching YouTube videos of waterfalls, crashing waves or other natural environments, listening to birds chirping, rain showers or any nature sounds, or just being around plants can also help you chill out. Plus, breathing in the fresh scents of St. Ives face and body productscan totally bring the outside in!
Improves Focus, Memory & Creativity
Whether you’re studying for a test or scrolling through your feed, it’s easy to get overloaded with information. Luckily, soaking up the sights, sounds, and scents of the great outdoors can do wonders for your brain! Studies have shown that benefits of spending time in natureinclude helping you focus, improving your short term memory, and sparking your creativity. That’s all great news for your grades, your passion projects (aka painting, writing, dancing, making music, and beyond), and your day-to-day life.
Reduces Inflammation
You’ve probably heard people talk about inflammation when it comes to mental and physical well-being. When it happens in the body, inflammation has been tied to everything from feeling down to some really serious health problems. But have no fear: Nature is here! Spending time with nature has been shown to be one of the easiest things you can do to help cut down on inflammation in your body.
Keeps You Healthy
Everyone knows that baking in the sun is bad, but did you know that spending a few minutes soaking up sunshine is actually good for you? True story. That’s because when sunlight hits your skin it creates and activates vitamin D, which is something that helps protect your body from getting sick. But the health benefits of naturego beyond sunlight.
Turns out that being around grass, plants, and trees can boost your immunity, which means your body can do a better job of fighting off common colds and flus. Basically, nature is good for your health. Like really good!
There are so many “a-peeling” things about physical exfoliation, and we love the power it has to make your skin feel refreshed. Our St. Ives Board-Certified Dermatologist partner, Dr. Claire Wolinsky loves the benefits of physical exfoliation as much as we do, so we asked her to share the advantages of this important step in your skincare routine, all year round!
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Fact: Working out is a great way to burn off stress and boost your mood. That’s because exercise has been shown to lower cortisol levels (aka the body’s stress hormone) and release endorphins (the body’s happy hormone). And when you do it in a park, the woods, a beach or any natured-filled space, you get the added benefits of nature!
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How do you deal with stress? If you opt for exercise, meditation, yoga, or journaling you’re on the right track. But do these activities out in nature, and their stress-lowering benefits go to the next level. In fact, just 15 minutes with nature is proven to have a serious de-stress effect!
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The sounds of the waves, the sand between your toes, and all that sunshine. There’s nothing more relaxing than a beach day! But besides making you feel calm, there are loads of other health benefits of going to the beach. Here are some positive effects of being at the beach for your body and brain, and activities you can do while you’re there.
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