Improving Mental Health by Spending More Time Outside!
/The Blairstown Campus is a wonder! Anyone who has been there can tell you that the historied buildings and dedicated people are a highlight, but the beautiful landscape is beyond compare.
At the same time, that landscape lends itself to adventure, learning, and self-discovery. From canoeing and hiking to picnics and bonfires, much of the Center’s curriculum and experiences are planned to make the most of the available natural resources. This approach leads to an abundance of activities to choose from, while also helping to improve mental health and cognitive function. A 2018 study published by Frontiers in Public Health found that spending time outdoors can aid people in a variety of categories including: “attention and cognition, memory, stress and anxiety, sleep, emotional stability and self-perceived welfare or quality of life.”
Young people are often more comfortable indoors watching screens than they are outside, so it’s more important than ever to encourage them to spend more time in nature. The Center approaches this in a variety of ways including:
Making the outdoors fun by providing engaging learning activities and games.
Encouraging learning and curiosity by teaching participants about wildlife, plants, and sustainability.
Teaching young people ways that nature can lead to relaxation and stress-release through forest bathing and meditative walks.
Since the pandemic, an increasing percentage of young people report having poor mental health, making it even more important that they have access to explore and enjoy the great outdoors. Spending time at the Blairstown Campus is one way to let young people understand how time outside can be fun and make them feel better.
