West Newsmagazine 5-1-24

28 I SUMMER CAMPS I
May 1, 2024
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
Nature’s impact: benefits of time spent outdoors
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
By LAURA BROWN
In a digital age where screens dominate
young lives, the mental and physical benefits
of being outdoors is more important
now than ever. Mental health experts tend
to agree that being outside is good for overall
health. The National Institute of Health
published a study in 2018 that showed, in
addition to other benefits, simply being
outdoors lowered stress hormone levels in
individuals. Nicole Buesse, LPC, a mental
health counselor in Wildwood, agrees and
said she encourages her patients to spend
time outside to help with anxiousness.
“In the society that we live in today with
so much technology, we really are inside a
lot more than we ever have been,” Buesse
said. “It’s good for kids to get out of their
rooms; open their blackout curtains. It’s
good for kids to see some sunlight.”
Buesse said just 20 minutes a day outdoors
can have profound effects on mental
health. The time doesn’t even need to be
spent exercising because the benefit of sunlight
is enough, she said. Vitamin D comes
from sunlight exposure and Buesse mentioned
that as people age they can become
deficient in the vitamin due to spending less
time in the sun. Vitamin D has been found
to have several health benefits including
improving mood, strengthening bones and
improving heart health.
“Obviously more is great, but if you can
fit in 20 minutes, you’re in a really good
spot for promoting overall mental health,”
Buesse said. “I would say in addition to
that, if you can, do any sort of exercise
outside. And by exercise I don’t mean it
has to be something super strenuous. But
even just doing some walking is something
that increases your heart rate and increases
your blood flow so that you are processing
stress hormones better and increasing dopamine
levels in your body, promoting overall
improved health.”
For kids who are resistant to spending
time outdoors, Buesse recommends starting
with short amounts of time, increasing it
gradually each day. Another tip from Buesse
is that parents can lead by example. Parents
can make spending time outdoors a family
activity that everyone does together each
day. During the summer when kids might be
left home alone during the day while parents
are working, Buesse recommends making
going outdoors in the evening a routine.
“It’s good to have it as a family activity
when parents get home from work,” Buesse
said. “As parents ourselves, we need to get
outside and need to have some positive
mental health promotion in our own bodies.
And to have that shared time with our kiddos
as well can be really impactful. It’s not just
about the kids, but also as parents we need
to keep our mental health and struggle in
mind as well.”
One reason kids resist going outdoors
is because when they watch a screen they
don’t have to be creative to entertain themselves,
Buesse explained. There are almost
unlimited amounts of entertainment available
when it comes to screen time.
“There’s more competition for their attention,”
Buesse said. “Video games are fun.
There’s a lot of programming that kids
can watch online. So (going outside) is not
always the first thing they think of to do, but
usually once you get them outside they do
have fun. And they get to use their imagination
and create their own entertainment, as
opposed to having it just presented to them.”
Time outside can be as simple as going
for a walk around the neighborhood or playing
in a sprinkler on a hot summer evening.
Another option is signing children up for
an outdoor summer camp. Outdoor camps
give children of all ages the opportunity to
unplug and reconnect with nature.
Tracy Bono, of St. Charles County, is a
(Adobe Stock photo)
mom of three and is passionate about getting
kids back into nature. She has been a
Missouri Master Naturalist for five years
and worked in field development for the
Greater St. Louis Region Boy Scouts of
America last year. She said she began working
for Scouts because of her passion for its
mission. Bono’s youngest son is autistic and
loves the outdoors.
“I noticed that being outside and having
nature-based play and learning for him has
been huge,” Bono said. “He’s so much more
regulated and develops skills from the outdoors
that he can’t in a classroom. Many
times children who were troublemakers in
the classroom became leaders in nature.”
Central to Bono’s efforts is scouting, a
structured yet adventurous platform that
See CAMPS, next page
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