4 Facts You Should Know About Camping Outdoors

Camping has been a human tradition for a long time, and for a good reason. Camping offers numerous benefits to our health, relationships, and memories. Plus, camping allows us to experience a piece of the world we don’t get to see enough. The following will explore some of the more nifty things you should know about camping outdoors.

Camping Is Good For Your Mental Health

The studies have been conducted, and the verdict is in. Time outside is great for your mental health—time in the wilderness surrounded by nature? It’s even better for your mental state. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and seasonal affective disorder can all be reduced by spending time in the great outdoors. Yes. Camping is healthy.

Spending time in the wilderness has been linked to our mental health in two direct ways (and many other indirect ways). Foremost, when in the wilderness, we’re breathing in fresh air with minimal health-disrupting toxins. The fresh air also boosts our mental capacities.

When talking about fresh air, it’s important to note that we don’t just mean air free of pollutants and toxins that tax your system and bog down your body when you inhale them. We’re also talking about negatively charged air. This sounds like hocus pocus, but it isn’t. Humans in society tend to be surrounded by air full of positive ions. Natural environments with lots of rocks, moving water, and trees tend to have lots of negative ions in the air. These ions have been found to reduce symptoms of things like seasonal affective disorder and other mental health struggles.

Second, letting natural light regulate your circadian rhythm (which then regulates your hormones, which then regulates your sleep, stress, appetite, and mood). Natural light also gives us a boost in vitamin D levels and a much-needed break from artificial light inside your room. Artificial light damages our hormone systems which, as stated above, wreaks havoc on nearly every part of our life.

These factors combined have been shown to produce such positive results in managing depression and anxiety that therapy programs have begun to include time outdoors as a part of their treatment plans. Camping in particular (as opposed to taking a long walk) combines the benefits of fresh air and natural light with natural-setting challenges (like starting a fire or pitching a tent). These sorts of tasks boost self-esteem and improve people’s sense of self-efficacy.

Camping Is An Excellent Way To Travel The World

Believe it or not, nearly every country in the world has national or provincial/state parks open for campers. The professionals behind www.mapthememories.com point out that there are hundreds of travel destinations that include camping you can check out. What better way to see and experience a new land than to take at least a few days out of the city and drink in the local terrain and climate? Of course, when camping in a foreign land, be sure to understand if camping permits are needed and have a grasp on the weather you can expect. Remember, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad outfits.

Being Outdoors Boosts Your Immune System

New studies have been finding that spending time in the forest boosts your immune system. Your immune system is what fights off bacteria, viruses, and infections. Even five minutes of time in the forest was shown to have a positive impact. Spending just thirty minutes hiking in the woods boosts your immune system for up to a week. Just looking at forests can be beneficial for your health. Studies on patients recovering from surgery found that those with a view of green space recovered more quickly. 

Being Away From Screens Is Good For Your Health

Camping minimizes your time on digital devices. Constantly checking your phone has been linked to mental health problems. Of course, these devices in our pockets and homes are designed to hold our attention. Human beings are designed to connect and bond. Camping gives you a momentary break from the notifications. It can also show you how not urgent the majority of your digital pursuits are. Didn’t check your email for four days? Nothing happens. Don’t believe us? Try it out for yourself.

The above information should help you see some of the many benefits of camping outdoors. If camping is something you’re interested in but frightened to try out, why not look for a nice middle-ground situation to get yourself started. You could camp in your backyard or a friend’s yard or in a smaller local park close to your home. Once you feel confident, you can then look into camping a little further away from the crowds. Remember to always let someone know where you’re going.