As the semester winds down, finals approach, motivation drops, and with all classes virtual, students’ mental health could be at risk. One great way to reduce stress and boost emotional well-being is to get outside! In a recent article from Harvard Medical School, researchers found that nature sounds or even just silence–away from the buzz of machines– can lower blood pressure and reduce levels of the brain hormone that causes us to feel stress.

You don’t need to be in a National Park or drive far from your home to reap the mental and physical benefits from connecting with nature. Just 20 minutes of being outside in any outdoor environment, even your seemingly mundane backyard, likely contains all kinds of life. Going for a stroll with friends can be a great way to spend time together, in a socially distant way.

If your backyard is not sufficing your environmental hunger, go explore! Coming from a small rural area, it can feel as though there is a lack of public spaces for you to recreate in. Hop on the internet; there are loads of sites to help you locate outdoor spaces. If you are situated in the West, there are many national parks and monuments that you could search for using ParkFinder. If you live in the Midwest or in the East, there are fewer national parks, but you can still use search words such as ‘natural areas in (your area)’ or ‘green spaces map in (your area).’ If you are looking for a hike, there is AllTrails where you can search for different trails in your area and the website will give you information on difficulty, length, etc.

Online school can be very overwhelming, a quick dip into the sunshine away from the screens can really make a world of difference. Wishing everyone a stress-free and pleasant last few weeks of school!