In June of 2014, I graduated with a degree in Recreation Management from Brigham Young University. "That sounds fun," you will inevitably want to tell me. And it's true: I absolutely loved my major. While I didn't enjoy all of my business classes - after all, this was a management degree and accounting is not for everyone - I am passionate about recreation.
Like most of us, I grew up spending a large portion of my time outside. I played sports, hiked, fished, camped, and just ran around the yard. I loved it! Which is why many of the things I learned during my time studying recreation are still very bothersome to me. Author and journalist Richard Louv, perhaps best known for his book Last Child in the Woods, related the story of one fifth-grader who said, "I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are."
That statement is alarming to me, and while I know that not every child feels this way, it does give insight into a prevalent problem we face in today's world.
Consider this video from Nature Valley:
Now, I don't believe that every kid is a technology addict, nor do I believe that every adult is a device-free outdoors enthusiast, but I do think this video paints a very clear and important picture of just how different a childhood is today than it was just twenty years ago.
Are all these devices and technological advances inherently evil? No, of course not. However, we as a society - adult and child alike - need to spend some more time unplugged.
I spend a few hours each week as a volunteer adult leader for the youth at my church. Recently, we were playing volleyball for a mid-week activity and on one particular point, I watch the ball sail over the net and land in the middle of the court within one foot of a girl who was so wrapped up in whatever was on her phone she was oblivious to the ball that had almost struck her. She wasn't the only culprit that night either. I watched as several of these teenagers couldn't resist pulling out their phones in the middle of the action. I understand that as a sports and recreation professional I view the world differently than these kids but it was painful for me to watch.
The Benefits of Going Outside
There are many, many benefits to spending time in nature. While we could spend all day with a never-ending list, let's take a broad look at a few of the rewards that you and I can enjoy as we get some fresh air.
Physical Health
According to a study conducted at the University of Essex, the color green actually makes exercise feel easier. So unless you've been invited to exercise inside a bank vault next to enormous piles of cash, I'd recommend taking at least some of your exercise to the great outdoors.
Whether it's playing tennis (a personal favorite), mountain biking, or taking a short stroll around the block, there are ample opportunities for simple physical activity to boost your health.
Mental and Emotional Health
Time in the great outdoors can help brain function and mental health in several ways. Spending some of your time outside can increase concentration and creativity, improve short-term memory, raise happiness levels, and decrease stress. Because of these benefits, it should come as no surprise that outdoor and natural settings can ease many mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD (another personal "favorite").
Improved Vision
Studies suggest that, at least for children, time outside may reduce the risk of developing myopia (nearsightedness). So let's get those kids outside before they need to visit my employer in adulthood!
Tips to Disconnect
In today's world, an "addiction" to screens is one of the biggest culprits behind why we don't spend as much time outside. I put addiction in quotation marks, but I probably don't need to. This can be a real addiction and real problem. Here are just a few ideas on how we can disconnect away from technology, allowing us to take in the world a little more:
- When you get home from work, school, or wherever you've been, put your phone down on a shelf somewhere. You'll still be able to hear it if someone calls, but you will have removed the temptation to constantly have it in your hands.
- Schedule some time each day to get outside. Maybe each morning you'll take your kids to the park, or maybe part of your nightly routine will be to go on a walk with your family. Whatever it is, make it a daily habit. And while you're gone... Leave your phone inside. Gasp! Think you can handle it?
- When I was growing up, it was a rule at home that I had to do my homework before I turned on the TV. It takes a lot of self-discipline, but that can even be done as an adult. Prioritize other tasks before you start flipping channels.
- We don't have video games in my house. Why? Because as a teenager I was addicted to them. Now I have removed the temptation so that I won't let video games affect me that way. Is it video games? Netflix binges? If you have a technology addiction, remove it!
- Follow the advice of ex-Googler Tristan Harris and "Unhijack Your Mind from Your Phone" by making your phone work for you and not the other way around.
I understand that some of these ideas probably won't apply to you. Maybe you watch TV as soon as you get home but you're able to easily limit your time on the couch. Maybe you play video games but it doesn't have a stranglehold on your life like it did for me in my teenage years. Or maybe you aren't glued to your phone, constantly checking to see who has liked your latest Instagram photo. But take some time for honest introspection and see if your relationship with technology needs to be improved in any way.
There are hundreds of other ideas on how to unplug. What have you done to disconnect?
"Things as They Really Are"
You may or may not know that I am religious, and one of my favorite scriptures is Jacob 4:13 in the Book of Mormon. A portion of it reads, "The Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be..." It is easy to see how television, video games, and the internet can pull us away from "things as they really are," which is troubling if we stop and think about the "reality" that is so frequently portrayed in these various forms of media.
The phrase "things as they really are" is also the title of a speech by David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This speech has been particularly influential on me as I continuously evaluate my use of technology. Elder Bednar stated the following:
"Initially the investment of time [in the digital world] may seem relatively harmless, rationalized as a few minutes of needed relief from the demands of a hectic daily schedule. But important opportunities are missed for developing and improving interpersonal skills, for laughing and crying together, and for creating a rich and enduring bond of emotional intimacy. Progressively, seemingly innocent entertainment can become a form of pernicious enslavement."
I want my son to see things as they really are, not as the distorted reality that we see on television or through video games. He won't live in a bubble: he'll certainly be exposed to technology of many varieties. However, he'll spend much of his time outdoors, reading wholesome books, and spending screen-free time with our family. He was born with a natural disposition toward these things, now it's my job to ensure they continue.
My mom sent me this image quite a while back - it's actually what triggered me to begin (and finally finish) writing this article - and it has stuck with me:
And it's true! I think back to my childhood and not a single one of my favorite memories involve a screen of any kind. Most of my memories are outside. Playing one-on-one football with my friend Ryan and the immense pride I felt the one and only time I beat him. Organizing a neighborhood Wiffle ball game that resulted in heat exhaustion and an early night for me (worth it). Watching my dad jump in a lake after his fishing pole when a fish decided to bite while he was helping me with my line. Creating a new sport I called "snow soccer" during Colorado's blizzard in 1997. These are just a few of the memories that jump out when I reflect on my childhood.
If you ask me, it's time for all of us to unplug and spend a little more time enjoying the benefits of the great outdoors.
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