Why People Are Craving Outdoor Time More Than Ever
Spending time outdoors can improve overall health and wellness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even if it didn’t offer health benefits, I would still enjoy being outdoors. Whether it’s tending to my garden of herbs and flowers, meditating, or relaxing by the water, something about being outdoors brings me peace.
A new poll of 2,000 people conducted by Talker Research on behalf of RVshare found that on average, people need to spend 67 minutes outside each day in order to feel refreshed. They also revealed that over half (57%) are craving time spent outdoors more now than ever before.
Why Are People Spending More Time Outdoors?
Results found that those who spent time outside said it relaxes them (68%), puts them in a better mood (66%) and helps them clear their head (64%).
On the other hand, spending more time inside than preferred can lead to feelings of depression (38%), anxiousness (33%), and loneliness (32%), according to the research. Six in 10 (58%) will get stir-crazy after spending too much time inside, with the average threshold of indoor time being 10.5 hours.
Interestingly, negative emotions are also the result of outdoor plans getting derailed, whether due to cancellations or bad weather. Forty-eight percent of respondents reported feeling disappointed when their outdoor plans change, while others felt frustrated (32%) and annoyed (28%).
Favorite Outdoor Activities
Respondents also shared their favorite outdoor activities and said they enjoy them because they benefit their mental and physical health. Some of these include grilling or cooking outside (23%), hiking (14%) and camping (11%).
The study points out that a shift in travel preferences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has Americans traveling to places in nature (16%) and taking more trips that benefit their mental health (15%).
Findings revealed that 67% of Americans view travel as a method of self-care, and four in 10 (42%) said they need to book a trip to “escape” at least once every six months.
One-third of Americans (33%) regularly book vacations around outdoor activities they enjoy and are the most excited about trips to the beach (44%), national park visits (29%), and cross-country driving (12%). Over half (57%) prefer to drive to their destination while on vacation compared to flying at 25%.
They said this could be due to the belief that the “journey to a destination is part of the vacation itself,” which is felt by most of those surveyed (83%).
Those who are vacationing in the great outdoors are seeing benefits to their mental health through reduced stress (36%), experiencing mental recharging (33%), and making them more grateful for the things they have (23%).
Check out more insights from the survey results here.
