Take Your Learning Outside

One of the main benefits of taking online courses is the flexibility to do your work whenever you wish, wherever you are. With beautiful weather finally here, it’s a perfect time to take your learning outside!

Nature offers one of the most reliable boosts to your mental and physical well-being. A change of scenery can go a long way to re-energize you, and therefore, make you more productive. If your attention span is waning, you may find that a change in scenery is just what you need. Getting outdoors can reduce stress and improve immune function. What's more, incorporating bits of nature into your day can also give your brain a boost, not only resulting in increased productivity, but also in increased focus and creativity.

1. Nature reduces stress

While circadian rhythms are produced by natural factors within the body, they are strongly affected by signals from the environment, with light being the main cue. Natural light is best, not a room filled artificial light and the glow of computer screens. 

Harvard physician Eva M. Selhub, co-author of Your Brain on Nature, says being out in nature “stimulates reward neurons in your brain. It turns off the stress response which means you have lower cortisol levels, lower heart rate and blood pressure and improved immune response."

In a study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, researchers took 420 subjects and distributed them across 35 different forests throughout Japan. A control group sat in an urban area. Those sitting in the natural surroundings were found to experience the following:

• 12.4% decrease in cortisol
• 7.0% decrease in sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous activity
• 1.4% decrease in systolic blood pressure
• 5.8% decrease in heart rate

2. Going outside gets you up and out of your chair

It’s no surprise that sitting for extended periods during the day isn’t good for your health. Studies have shown that it dramatically increases your risk of disease, and even death. Even if you exercise regularly, too much sitting can still be bad for your heart, a leading cardiologists' group warns.

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that "based on existing evidence, we found that U.S. adults are sedentary for about six to eight hours a day," said Deborah Rohm Young, Ph.D., chair of the panel that wrote the new advisory published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

When we are sedentary for a long time, everything slows, including brain function. Getting up and moving around pumps fresh blood and oxygen through the brain and triggers the release of all sorts of brain and mood enhancing chemicals. So, pack up your books, laptop and grab some water. Now take a walk to the nearest park, patch of grass, or outdoor space and set up your workstation away from home!

3. Nature can help you recharge and focus

You know that feeling where your brain seems to be sluggish? When you start experiencing forgetfulness or have difficulty concentrating or solving problems? Researchers call that "mental fatigue."

One thing that can help get your mind back into gear is exposing it to restorative environments, including the great outdoors. One study found that people's mental energy bounced back even when they just looked at pictures of nature.

Working outside affords you the opportunity to take in the sights, sounds and scents of nature. "Imagine a therapy that had no known side effects, was readily available, and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost." That's the dramatic opening to a 2008 paper, The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature, describing the promise of so-called "nature therapy" — or, more simply put, "time outside."

MAKE IT HAPPEN

So how, exactly do you take your work outside? Here are a few tips to get you started. 

Get Charged and Ready

Make sure that your laptop or tablet are fully charged. If you’re planning to take your work outside routinely, you might want to purchase a laptop or tablet with a glare-free screen. At the very least, invest in a laptop or tablet sleeve that can protect your equipment from falls, splashes, and sun. If you are in the market for a new laptop or tablet, some brands make laptops suited for the outdoors with built-in protections for working in the elements.

Get Connected

Need Wi-Fi? Check with local parks for locations where Wi-Fi may be available. Other connection options include using your phone as a Wi-Fi hot spot. Contact your cell phone service provider to explore options and associated costs. If you’re simply taking your laptop to the back yard, make sure your signal is strong enough. If it’s not, try using a Wi-Fi range extender to extend your internet signal. 

Get in the Shade

Glaring sun can be a problem. As mentioned, there are e-readers, tablets and laptops designed for bright sunlight and tools to make outdoor work easier. For those who don’t have those features, finding a shady spot is best. You’ll reduce eye stress and strain and keep your expensive technology out of the hot sun!

Get Creative

If you are unable to take your work outside, at the very least, bring nature inside to you! Place green plants around the room you work in, put pictures of outdoor scenes where you will see them and make a conscious effort to take frequent breaks and look at these elements of nature. These things can deliver some of the same improvements in productivity and focus as spending time outdoors. Give it a try!

This summer, find ways to relieve your stress, deepen your thinking, and do better work, simply by taking your work outside. It doesn’t have to be every day, or even every other day, every little bit helps.

Ed4Career has the perfect courses for you this season. View our catalog and explore online courses that will help with skill development, personal enrichment, as well as help you earn certification in a career of your choice. Contact us today to learn more!