Time spent outdoors is also well linked to lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, mental health problems and overall mortality; and to greater rates of health, happiness, and cognitive development in children.
Spending two hours outdoors over the course of the week is not very hard, even in the midst of a pandemic. It amounts to less than 20 minutes a day. It can as simple as walking along a tree-lined street or laying on a blanket beneath a tree and looking up.
I played golf yesterday morning. I went biking with my kids in the afternoon. Took a solo ride later in the day. We also had a socially distant brunch with friends on our front lawn and then went for ice cream, where Charlie and I wrestled in the grass beneath a tree. Without even thinking about it, I tripled – maybe quadrupled – the time spent outdoors requirement for the week.
Small action. Big impact.
I am constantly searching for small actions that yield enormous results.
More than a decade ago, I placed floss in the shower, hoping that doing so would incentivize me to floss every day. Standing at the sink and flossing was annoying, but who wouldn’t mind an extra 30 seconds spent in the shower?
I was right. I haven’t missed a day of flossing in years, and the simple act of flossing produces enormous health benefits. It helps to prevent gum disease, which is also linked to reduced rates of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, mouth cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, and many other health conditions.
Regular flossing is also linked to increased life expectancy.
An additional 30 seconds spent in the shower, flossing my teeth, can produce enormous results.
So spend a couple hours in nature this week.
Floss. Maybe try putting it in the shower if that helps.
And try doing 10 jumping jacks a dozen times or so today. Maybe link your four seconds of exercise to something you’re already doing regularly.
Every time you open the refrigerator, you do 10 jumping jacks. That’s what I’ll be doing today and probably for a very long time.
Simple actions that yield enormous results. The world is filled with them.
