“Go play outside” was one of my mother’s favorite commands to me when I was a little boy especially when it was proceeded with, “You are getting on my nerves.” I never meant to get on my mother’s “nerves”, I was just good at it. I loved playing outside and typically when the weather was good, I would stay out way past dark. I was fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood full of other kids my age. We would play games like hide and seek, tag, red rover, army, cowboys and Indians, baseball, football, and many more. I still love to play outside. Little did I know that my mother’s directive of “Go play outside” was a healthy thing for me to do.
It is a struggle to encourage children and even adults to play outside. As stated, before Nature Deficient Disorder is a term developed and used to describe the expanding separation that children experience growing up separated from natural space and overloaded with stimuli from varied electronic gadgets of today’s world.Trying to stop your child from playing a game on one of their electronic gadgets is like getting between a starving dog and its food. Lots of research is starting to discover the impact of screen time and health.
It was found that increased screen time among adolescents in secondary schools is incrementally associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and school dissatisfaction (Cao, 2011). Another study found that among students aged 10-16 years old with lower levels of leisure screen time had fewer symptoms of depression (Kremer, 2014). Many adults may struggle with Nature Deficient Disorder. A study found that adults with more than 4 hours of screen time per day had poorer mental health scores than those with less than 2 hours a day (Hamer,2010).
The exciting news is that research discovered that children who play outside especially in nature have improved mental health and less psychological distress. Another study found that school aged children who engaged in nature in active ways for at least 15 minutes 4 or more times a week have a higher quality of life, better overall mood, and less symptoms of depression and anxiety. Interestingly, another study found that adults who had high levels of childhood nature exposure were at a lower risk of a wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders later in life than those who had less nature exposure.
There are all kinds of ways to play outside from gardening to walking. Go play outside- it is good for the mind, body, and spirit.
