If you’re anything like most young millenniala these days, chances are you spend a lot more time inside tapping away at a computer and hunched over your phone than you do basking in the great outdoors.
We are incredibly lucky to have the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in our backyard. We are just about finishing the fifth week of the fall semester and I don’t know if it’s just me, but I already feel stressed – I can’t be the only one. According to the American Psychological Association, 61 percent of college students seeking counseling report anxiety or other stress-related issues.
Ever of the term “forest bathing?” Forest bathing is the practice of spending time in the forested areas in efforts to reap wellness rewards. It doesn’t even have to be a forest, it could be any outdoor space that your heart desires. A 2010 study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine found that participants who walked in a forest had lower blood pressure and levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) afterward than those who strolled through a city environment.
So take a study break and take a nice stroll around. Let yourself take in everything that nature has to offer, even if only for a short period of time.