The holiday season is synonymous with friend and family time. Parties, meals, and other gatherings bring us together. Some people find merrymaking energizing, while others consider it draining.
If you’re in the latter category and need to decompress from all the socializing, consider a walk around the neighborhood. And if you’ve got any kids in your life, encourage them to join you on an outdoor reset.
Time Outdoors Translates to Better Health. A growing body of academic research is quantifying the health benefits of getting outdoors: lower blood pressure, better sleep, improved cognitive function and more. And just a few minutes is better than nothing. If you live downtown, walking to the grocery store instead of driving may be all you can commit to on a given day with the hectic holiday schedule. That’s okay.
And while we may crave a walk in a more remote, wild place, research shows that even exposing ourselves to a green urban park provides some health benefits. Yes, even the perpetually overlooked and mismanaged Fault Line Park can offer a much needed green escape amidst East Village’s high rises and density.
Don’t obsess on finding “the perfect” nature spot for your walk. Local parks that are easy and convenient to access will still help you reap rewards.
Involving Children in Walks Supports Environmental Stewardship. A recent study painted a dismal picture of human connectedness with nature, saying it has declined rapidly in the last 60 years. The biggest driver of this decline? A decrease in intergenerational transmission, or, parents and caregivers are not passing along a love of nature to their children. This is scary for our planet’s climate crisis. If you don’t appreciate something, why would you take care of it?
The holidays are a great time to get children outdoors because the typical structured activities of school and sports are on recess. Though it may feel daunting to occupy a child for hours, what may start as a walk outdoors can often lead to new discoveries. A trip to Seaport Village to see Santa, for example, could lead to riding a carousel, flying a kite at the bay, spying passing sailboats and North Island’s aircraft carriers or overhearing a concert at the Rady Shell.
The list goes on. If you allow yourself the time to wander and the openness to seize opportunities as they arise, you’ll find new delights around every corner.
Use Zephyrene for Motivation and Engagement. My small business recently unveiled a mascot, Zephyrene, who is a wayfinder to Earth. Zephyrene enjoys joining humans on outdoor adventures and helping them learn how to take care of the planet.
We’ve released a free download of Zephyrene that children can print, color, and cut out. You can then encourage them to take Ze on an adventure.
While out, capture a photo and some information about the trip that children then share with friends and family. Children can also give their Ze to someone and ask that that person take Zephyrene on adventures and then report back where they went, what they did and saw, and other cool details.
Zephyrene encourages children to engage in literacy activities and nature experience exchanges. Now let’s get outdoors and go on new adventures. SDSun
Deanna Ratnikova is the creator of The GO Deck – an innovative, informational card deck showcasing natural attractions in San Diego.
