Go Outside and Play

When my sisters and I were growing up in a small Colorado mountain town, every day after school we would change into our play clothes, eat EXACTLY TWO cookies, then go outside and play. These were my mother’s rules, no exceptions. We became adept at sneaking extra cookies, but we never snuck back indoors once we were kicked out.

We didn’t want to, even in winter. There was much more to do outside before the sun set than inside, so we bundled up and headed out. We dug tunnels in the snow, made “ski runs” on the piles the plows left next to our driveway, built snow forts, had snowball fights, made snow angels, went sledding on a nearby slope, and generally ran around expending energy.

In warmer weather we climbed on rocks, rode our bikes through the woods with our teddy bears in the baskets, waded in streams, picked strawberries, pretended to be explorers, played hide-and-seek or kick-the-can, and generally ran around expending energy.

As a bonus, which I didn’t recognize until decades later, we became very comfortable in the outdoors. We absorbed the nuances of our natural surroundings and the changes in the seasons without really noticing it. That fundamental knowledge has persisted into adulthood for me. I can sense a drop of a few degrees in temperature or a subtle shift in the wind. I can tell if it’s going to snow by looking at the clouds, even if common sense says the conditions are not right. I know how to cross a stream without getting wet, and when it’s too dangerous to try. My eyes are always subconsciously on the lookout for wildlife, and, consequently, I spot plenty of animals wherever I go.

Why does this matter? Two reasons. First, when you are in tune with your natural surroundings, you are capable of noticing unusual changes. For instance, late arrivals or early departures of migratory animals. Summers that are hotter, dryer, or longer than usual. Snow that is wetter than normal, or which melts faster. Autumn leaves that change colors later than usual or not at all. (Sometimes the aspen leaves here in Colorado turn black and drop off all at once, with none of the typical fiery gold display.) Rivers and lakes whose water levels are subtly or drastically different from what you expect. Atypical wind patterns or predictable weather (such as afternoon thundershowers) that becomes unpredictable.

When you notice these types of changes, you may start to wonder why they are occurring, whether they will last, what their impact is, and whether you have played a role in creating them. If you conclude that you have (for example, contributing to air pollution by driving too much, or speeding the depletion of your water supply by over-generously watering your lawn), then you may be more inclined to make a change. Change is easier when you intrinsically understand the benefits, rather than having them pointed out to you by “experts.” And voluntary change is always easier than change imposed upon you by authorities.

Second, one of the worst errors in modern thinking is that we exist apart from Nature. If you spend your days indoors, isolated from the weather and other aspects of your natural surroundings, you may fall prey to this belief. But humans are a part of Nature as much as other animals are. Spending more time outside will reconnect you to your role as a resident of your local habitat. Instead of fighting the weather (for example, staying indoors when it is cold/rainy/windy outside), you can embrace it. Rather than fearing the wilder elements of the outdoors (such as getting lost in the woods or encountering a bear), you can learn how to prevent misfortune. Instead of relying on expensive technology to improve your life (e.g., installing air conditioning in your house), you will be able to come up with cheaper, more natural solutions (e.g., planting trees on the south and west sides of your house).

Besides, surrounding yourself by greenery, inhaling the fresh air, and letting the sun warm your back are all documented ways to de-stress your psyche. And like all good things in life, you can do them for free.

So go outside and play.