The Great Outdoors

With a national lockdown in place it’s no wonder why many of us are spending more time on the sofa than strolling around in the fresh air. As a student, I found myself lost in never ending deadlines and reading lists, where very often a day or two could go by without actually leaving my house, let alone the many hours spent confined to my bedroom.

In a busy world we tend to prioritise the bigger things which hold more weighting on the outcomes of our life and disregard the importance of such basic needs of fresh air and sunlight.

So, my challenge for you is, next time you’re low on milk for a cup of tea, take a walk down to the newsagent instead of hopping in the car. If you’re a coffee lover, treat yourself to a latte from your local coffee shop and take a stroll down. Next time you’re on the phone to your mate, take a walk round the block and have a catchup with them instead of being stuck in your room like usual. These little habits will make you feel a lot better in the long run and are definitely more worthwhile than 5 extra minutes of work you could have got done, or an extra level on your latest game.

It’s very easy to get lost in your own bubble, (especially in lockdown and especially being a student) so pop that bubble because it will only make you feel more detached in the long run. Such a simple thing as fresh air and sunlight can have such a big impact on your mental health, and you will perform and feel better for it. If you want to take this one step further… go camping, go fishing, get into gardening, or start running – start with the walk to the coffee shop and see where you end up. I bet there are very few, if any of you who could disagree that it felt better than being stuck inside 4 walls and staring at a screen.