Staying indoors is an activity that the majority of people in our modern world will fall into.
In fact here are just a few figures to give you a rough idea of how many people are willing to stay indoors and not go outside:
You can check a more detailed analysis of these results based on the project, Building.H in The United States in 2022 here.
It is an activity that is so appealing, because we see it as a work free environment where we can relax and shut ourselves away from the busy, stressful or heavily commercialised lives we may live in.
But that does not mean our homes are a good thing. We may end up developing unorthodox routines that can actually impact our social lives, our mental well-being and even our physical health.
It is for these reasons that leaving our homes and going outdoors is essential for us to flourish in the long-term and maintain our well-being to the fullest.
Here are a few key reasons why we must go outdoors…
Staying indoors or in your room can be hazardous to your social skills.
This is because you’re blocking yourself from any forms of interaction with the outside world and this can be catastrophic to your livelihoods, especially if you develop this routine from a younger age.
So how can it be damaging to your social skills?
Being able to make new friendships, relationships and even connections with the people around you can be difficult, which can lead to the feeling of loneliness.
Moreover, being able to find a job would be difficult if you haven’t developed your social skills in a more articulate manner and this can be damaging to your potential career goals.
Approximately 8 million people are diagnosed with asthma in the UK.
One of the fundamental reasons behind this is due to poor indoor environments.
Many of the homes we live in are likely to have microbes and tiny indoor pollutants that are more than able to enter our respiratory system.
Particularly dust mites and microscopic dust particles can get lodged into our airways and this can be catastrophic to our breathing.
In fact, US studies have found that children living nearer to greener spaces experience fewer asthma symptoms.
This is why parks and fields should be highly appreciated as a place to exercise and spend more time in instead of taking them for granted.
Have you ever experienced some form of depression or sadness even if it was just a small amount?
One reason for this may simply be because of you staying indoors.
Most of the time when we stay indoors in our rooms or laying on the couch watching Netflix, we tend to do nothing particularly productive.
In fact you will find that sitting at home watching TV, lusting about on Instagram or Snapchat or even playing on your Playstation will encourage laziness and procrastination. Don’t worry though, this is common for nearly everybody.
These things can cause us to shy away from the outside world and cause us to feel depressed as we realise our laziness and struggle to exercise our minds and our bodies.
By simply taking a walk in the park, participating at a sports club or local leisure centre or going out for lunch with our mates just to name a few, you will notice how big of a difference going outside will make to our mental health!
Do you ever wonder why you feel nervous, anxious or panic around social situations outside of your home, whether they are interviews, class presentations or meeting you mates?
It is simply because you have not gone outside enough to adjust to the outside world.
This links to your social skills, because not only does staying indoors mean that you are separated from social interaction in-person, but your lack of social interaction can cause you to develop anxiety.
Just take a job interview for example: If you stay at home, you become more comfortable with the inside environment than the outside environment.
You become more comfortable with the people you are living with and more anxious and shy to even create the slightest of conversations with strangers or people you do not live with.
This will only make the interview difficult for you as you begin to worry about how you will approach the interviewer without feeling awkward.
This is why outdoor activities such as simply going to the shops and talking to staff and cashiers will help improve your confidence in social situations, instead of fuelling your anxiety!
Most people underestimate their sleep schedules.
An adult should have at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep every night minimum, yet they may have 4 hours of sleep or more than half a day worth of sleep lousing about in bed.
This is simply to do with staying indoors and developing the feeling of laziness and procrastination.
This is where we end up shying away from any form of productive activity whether it’s work, exercise or social interaction outside our homes and choose to do activities that end up rotting our brains and slowing our minds down.
We end up having the urge to sleep even more, because we have no motives or activities that we are invested in. Hence, Instead of waking up at 9 in the morning feeling awakened and happy, we end up sleeping until 4 in the afternoon.
Either that or we wake up at 9 in the morning feeling tired and depressed, unready for the day ahead.
Simply doing some exercise at the gym or park or even playing sports with your mates can liven up your mood and encourage a sense of motivation for you to become productive in achieving any goals you have set to achieve in the future.
By surrounding yourself with people who can liven up your mood or even inspire you to be productive, this will help you to reduce your prolonged sleep schedules and wake up earlier and motivated for everyday ahead of you.
