Nature deficit disorder (NDD) has real consequences for people’s health, even if it has yet to be acknowledged as a medical disorder. This can occur when individuals have very little to no time spent outdoors, which means they’re always cooped up at home and glued to their mobile devices or gadgets.
While spending time indoors isn’t bad, it has to be balanced with ample time in nature. If you’re constantly exposed to blue light from your gadgets or consumed by digital media, it can start affecting your mental, physical, and emotional health. So, here’s how you can fix that by spending more time outside of your home:
Remodel Your Patio
There may have been a time when you’ve enjoyed lounging on your patio and basking in the afternoon sun. You would have a book in hand as you catch up on your reading while the ice in your sweet tea is slowly melting due to the warmth of the day. But as time went by, you eventually began to neglect your patio.
Forgetting to care for your outdoor furniture because you’re too busy is not a crime. But it’s a waste of space and money to leave the patio as is, especially if there’s an easy solution to this — you can take this as an opportunity to remodel your patio. This can include anything from buying new outdoor furniture to getting a retractable patio shade installed. That way, you can enjoy hanging out on your patio again.
Start Gardening
If you tend to stay indoors because you have nothing to do outside, consider getting into gardening. This will give you the extra push to spend even just a few minutes outside to tend to your garden. And it’s also an excellent way to get some physical activity out of your busy day. So, you could start a garden on your lawn or backyard.
Plus, because you’re gardening, you can grow your own fruits, vegetables, or orchids with your own hands. This means that you can eventually save money because you won’t have to buy what you need from the supermarket. Instead, you can pick what you need from your mini garden at home.
Exercise Outdoors
During the pandemic, more and more people began to exercise indoors. Since it was risky to go to the gyms or run in the park, most people started doing indoor workouts that didn’t require too much space. But because the safety protocols are not as strict as they once were, you can start exercising outdoors again.
For instance, you can jog around your neighborhood in the afternoon or early evening. Or you can take walks in the nearby park if you prefer low-intensity workouts. But you can also exercise in your own backyard, so you won’t have to come into contact with other people if you don’t want to.
Get a Pool
If you want to spend more time outdoors to break away from your gadgets, you can buy an above-ground pool. While winter isn’t the best time for swimming outdoors, it could be a nice investment for spring and summer. And this can give you plenty of time to save up for the purchase.
Having a pool at home can be a lot of work because you’ll have to maintain it, but it can also be enjoyable since you can go for a swim anytime you want. By doing so, you won’t have to risk catching infectious diseases in the public pool or going out of your way to find a beach and go swimming.
Install a Hammock
Spending time outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to move around and sweat. Even if you’re lounging on furniture while you absorb some sunlight and breathe in the fresh air, it’s still considered enjoying nature. So, if you want, you can install a hammock between two trees in your yard where you can take afternoon naps or daydream.
If you don’t have trees you can tie your hammock to, it’s also possible to tie it to sturdy posts or beams. But you have to make sure that it can hold your weight because it could be dangerous to leave it up to chance. This way, you can rest assured that you won’t get an injury from lying or sitting on your hammock.
It’s one thing to spend time outside your home, but it’s another if you can spend that time in nature. Because most people are all too consumed with the internet and their gadgets, they might not realize how their lack of time in nature can be affecting their physical, mental, and emotional health.
However, because you’re more aware of the dangers of NDD now, you can take the appropriate measures to counter the negative impact it has on your well-being. So, whenever you have time to spare, think about taking a walk or touching some grass instead of using the time to binge-watch.
