7 Reasons You Should Go Touch Grass

Telling someone to “go touch grass” gained popularity in the post-quarantine world, when people were still spending far too much time indoors and online. This phrase was often in response to someone making a “chronically online” statement, a reminder to the person to get back in touch with reality.

While “go touch grass” is often not used literally, the reminder is especially needed for Gen-Z, 9% of whom admit to regularly spending zero time in nature. This is three times the average of every other generation, signaling another worrisome trend of the effects of technology.

Studies continuously show the physical and mental health benefits of spending even just 20 minutes outside a day.

But if you don’t believe me, here are 7 research-supported reasons to go touch some grass

1. Get That Vitamin D

Those of us in Massachusetts are familiar with the late winter blues (and for some, Seasonal Affective Disorder), when our stores of vitamin D from summer have depleted, and the UV index is simply too low to replenish them.

You might be asking: What does vitamin D do? Why do I need vitamin D? Why do I lose the will to live in the winter?

Well, besides preventing rickets, the National Library of Medicine has many studies showing how vitamin D helps our body:

• Build strong bones, muscles, and nerves
• Enhance the immune system
• Reduce cortisol and inflammation
• Regulate circadian rhythm and produce melatonin for better sleep
• Assist in treating autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers
• Produce serotonin, thus decreasing depression, anxiety, brain fog, and fatigue!!!

And now that it’s finally Spring in New England, you really have no excuse. To get the benefits of vitamin D, without getting skin cancer, you will need:

• A UV index of 3 (you can check this in your weather app)
• Depending on your skin tone, 10–30 minutes in the sun
• At least 1/3 of your skin exposed (a t-shirt and shorts will do)
• Light application of sunscreen (15–30 SPF is enough)

2. Grounding Yourself

Being outside has many benefits, but those who have all but severed their connection to the earth may need a more aggressive treatment.

Shinrin yoku, or “forest bathing” is a popular East Asian practice where one mindfully walks or lies on the ground in the forest. The intention is to engage all the senses: look at the colorful greenery around you, hear the rustling of leaves, smell the wet earth, feel the cushiony moss, breathe in to taste the fresh air of the trees.

Research has shown the health-promoting properties of shinrin yoku include:

• significant stress reduction and lower depression
• stabilizes the nervous system and decreases anxiety
• promotes heart health and immune function
• increases natural cancer-killing cells

3. No, Really, Get On The Ground

We have long avoided getting down and dirty, but those of us who had childhoods full of cuts and scrapes, mud pies and Easy Bake Oven delicacies, are still reaping the benefits.

So as you’re practicing shinrin yoku, don’t worry too much about getting dirty, because the“Old Friends” hypothesis suggests that exposure to microbes and bacteria in nature can remind the immune system of its ancestral roots.

Our incredibly sanitized life has denied our immune systems the opportunity to be formally introduced to a variety of microorganisms. Our immune systems are essentially fighting blind.

This is particularly important for children; While sharing iPads at daycare can introduce them to communicable diseases, letting them get their hands dirty (and maybe eat a little dirt) can be incredibly beneficial in the long term.

(Also, they apparently replaced the light bulb in the Easy-Bake Oven with an actual heating element in the 2000s, which proves my point more than anything.)

4. Get Up and Move

Okay, you can get off the ground now.

That’s what’s so great about being outside: it naturally encourages movement that is not just emigrating from chair to couch to bed.

Coming out of your cage can have you wandering aimlessly, catching a fly ball, or jumping out of the way of speeding cars.

Finding activities that get you out of the house can be a great motivator for movement. Even just lying on the beach means you have to lug your chair and cooler from the parking lot to the sea.

And while you’re there, you can join the beach volleyball league; Outdoor sports are a fantastic triple threat for health— physical activity, socialization, and time spent outdoors.

Physical activity produces endorphins that reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. It also helps maintain mobility by strengthening your bones and muscles, including your heart.

5. Get It Out

During quarantine in 2020, I decided to go running for the first time in my life. Running as fast and far as I could felt like a jail break; it was the only way to release my pent-up energy and emotions.

Recently, I’ve started working on my rental’s long-neglected raised garden bed, so that my, albeit tiny, backyard can be a place to recharge like a solar battery instead of the depressing eyesore it once was.

I’ve now spent several lunch breaks ripping the seemingly endless roots of invasive plants out of the garden— each yank coming with an angry grunt followed by a surge of satisfying release.

I come back inside dirty and tired, but with rejuvenated mental energy.

Getting out of my enclosure and remembering there’s a world outside my four walls has always been my favorite way to release anxiety, frustration, and mental fatigue.

And the science proves these benefits: Repetitive activities like running and weeding a garden can release endorphins, decrease cortisol, and improve emotional regulation.

With the added benefits of being in nature, these activities help reduce stress and invigorate the mind— both key in avoiding burnout.

6. See Some Fellow Humans

Outside is where life happens, real life that is.

Yes, your family, your pets, your phone charger, and your snacks are inside. But what do you even talk about with your family if none of you leave the house? What new smells will your pets sniff if you both smell the same?

Simply stepping outside naturally creates opportunity for interactions, whether it’s just eye contact, a shared smile, or a quick conversation about how Trader Joe’s changed their hours from 8 to 9.

Spending time outside begets more time outside: you might see flyers for events or classes you’re interested in, get invited to your neighbor’s next barbecue, or see the local running group who somehow look happy while exercising and briefly think about joining.

Knowing the places and faces of your neighborhood not only keeps you involved in your community, but when you add up all those social micro-transactions, you can reap massive benefits.

Those who are more social can expect better mood regulation, stronger immune systems, bigger and healthier brains, and become two times less likely to die!

So unplug yourself, pack your snacks, and go find someone to talk to.

7. See Some Dogs

and other critters!

If human interaction isn’t your thing, you can make eye contact with your neighbor’s dog instead!

There really is nothing like the serotonin boost from seeing the neighborhood animals, wild and domestic.

A part of getting to know your community is finding out the difference between Sprinkles the cat, who does not need any more treats, and the too-friendly raccoon, who also does not need any more treats.

Checking out your own backyard is fun, too. Maybe you’ll catch the bunny stealing from your garden, or see one of your paying customers, the bumblebee, keeping everything growing.

Just seeing a cute animal can have a positive effect on mood, and if you’re lucky enough to pet them, you’ll get a free stress reduction.too!

Remember You’re a Part of Nature, Too!

When you think of nature, you may picture plants, insects, and animals—living things. We often forget that humans, too, are living things within the ecosystems and cycles of Earth.

We’ve spent our time on Earth being led by our senses and natural biological rhythms, and our bodies are still expecting those same inputs to make sense of the world.

We confuse our bodies’ sense of time with light from our electronics and alarm clocks rather than using the sun. Our bodies rely on things like hugs to create intimacy and a sense of belonging, and emojis simply don’t cut it.

Spending your life isolated or living the majority of it online means you’re experiencing an extremely curated version of the world. Algorithms want to show you things that benefit them, not what keeps you a well-rounded and informed member of society. It will find what sparks rage so you keep interacting, or what hits your self-esteem so you buy more beauty products.

But when you go outside, you realize… no one really cares if you didn’t change your profile picture in support of the Kony2012 campaign.

Being in nature can break the illusion that the internet has created, with positive effects on anxiety and depression by helping your brain process sadness, guilt, remorse, rejection, and negative self-talk

But you don’t have to pull a full Henry David Thoreau and retreat into the wilderness to reap the benefits of connecting back to nature.

It can start small. Open a window, stand in the doorway, walk around the block, let the sun hit your skin. Indulge your senses; Smell the roses, hear the breeze, touch some grass.

Now go on, get out of here! Get! Don’t you understand?! It’s for your own good!

Find a Therapist in Massachusetts

If you’re looking for mental health counseling in Massachusetts, contact us and we can match you with a counselor and book an appointment today!

We offer both telehealth/online therapy as well as in-person therapy at our offices in Amherst, Springfield, Wilbraham, Natick, and Franklin Massachusetts.

Call (413) 343-4357  or request an appointment online today to get started.

 

Further Reading:

A Man of Many Hats: Dan McGrath, LADC1

Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder With Tips From Our Clinicians

Darker Days: What it’s like to live with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

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