Have you ever noticed how a brief walk outside can shift your mood, clear your mind, or help you solve a problem that seemed insurmountable while sitting indoors?
This isn’t just a coincidence; it’s a testament to the profound impact that spending time outdoors has on our brains and bodies.
For neurodivergent individuals, navigating the complexities of executive functioning skills like planning, organization, time management, emotional control, and sustained attention can be particularly challenging. These skills are crucial for achieving goals, managing daily tasks, and maintaining a healthy life balance.
Fortunately, a growing body of scientific research suggests that spending time outdoors and experiencing nature can significantly improve EF skills (and reduce some of the challenges that create barriers to EF success).
This guide aims to explore the benefits of spending time outdoors and offer practical strategies to help you understand and leverage the power of nature.
Click here to jump to the TL;DR summary
The Science of Nature Exposure and Executive Functioning
Chances are we’ve all experienced the positive effects of a day at the beach, a long hike in the woods, or simply spending a few minutes in a local park. While there’s strong anecdotal evidence of the benefits of nature exposure, there’s a significant body of academic research that also supports spending time outdoors can boost EF functioning.
Here are some of the key findings:
- A walk in nature can lower stress and boost cognitive performance. Walking in natural environments, as opposed to built environments, can significantly improve cognitive performance. (Bailey et al., 2018).
- Time outdoors improves our mental and physical health. Time spent outdoors is associated with fewer depression and anxiety symptoms, underscoring the mental health benefits of engaging with outdoor environments. It’s also positively associated with better physical health outcomes, including resilience with illnesses like cold and flu as well as chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. (Jimenez, et al, 2021).
- The benefits extend across age groups and individuals with and without neurodivergent experience. Multiple meta-analytic studies have looked at time outdoors, physical activity, and the benefits for executive functioning. The findings hold true for preschool children, adolescents. and older adults.
In addition, we also know the relationship of stress, co-occurring mental health concerns, and physical health issues and how they relate to the Executive Functioning Ripple Effect. As these concerns stack up, there are ripple effects that stretch into other areas of daily functioning and independence.
Practical Steps to Increase Nature Exposure and Boost Executive Functioning
Integrating nature into your daily life doesn’t require monumental changes; even small adjustments can yield significant benefits for executive functioning skills.
Whether you’re dealing with the intricacies of planning and organization or striving to enhance your time management and emotional control, spending time outdoors offers a natural remedy that’s free, accessible, and effective.
Below are some strategic ways to embrace the outdoors and foster EF skills:
Plan Regular Nature Breaks in Daily Routines
We already know that many neurodivergent individuals thrive with clear, outlined daily routines. Each week, incorporate short, 15-minute walks into your regular routines, ideally in a park or a green space. These breaks can serve as a mental reset, improving concentration and mood for the tasks you need to accomplish the rest of the day.
Find New Activities to Complete Outdoors
One of the easiest ways to add more time outdoors is to find activities you enjoy that can be done outside in nature. If you find activities like hiking, biking, or walking outdoors enjoyable, that’s great. But many of us need to look for alternative ways to complete activities outdoors.
Try to seek out workspaces that are either outdoors or have views of nature to complete your regular work activities or homework. Take up photography or any form of art that encourages you to explore and appreciate the outdoor environment. Even quiet activities like reading or journaling are easy to take outdoors.
Make it Social
We know that initially, finding the motivation to spend time outdoors may be challenging. However, if you enjoy spending time with friends, moving your social time in nature can be an easy way to overcome that challenge. For meals, choose a coffee shop or restaurant with outdoor seating or have a picnic in a park. For hang outs, go for a walk, a hike, or meet at a park. You can also search for outdoor clubs or groups that align with your interests.
Perks of bringing a friend–they’ll experience the same physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors also!
Even though we know the benefits of regular time outdoors, there are still challenges that can impede regular outdoor engagement, especially in urban environments or due to personal constraints. Here, we explore some of the common pitfalls you may encounter and provide practical solutions to resolve them.
Barrier #1: “I live in the city.”
Even though urban settings may lack wide open horizons and sweeping mountain views, there are still options to find green spaces and outdoor activities. Here’s where we turn to tech. There are plenty of apps that can help you find trails, parks, and outdoor events in your area. This can make the process of integrating nature into your life more accessible.
You can also look for spaces like community gardens or rooftop patios. Even a quiet street lined with trees can offer a semblance of nature enough to reduce stress and boost cognition.
Barrier #2: “I’m too busy.”
It can take dedication to find the motivation to spend time outdoors. As you begin spending time outdoors, we recommend logging some of the positive benefits you experience. Do you sleep better? Do you get more done after? Do you have better attention or emotional control? Often, neurodivergent individuals experience a boost in productivity and focus after spending time outdoors – ultimately that helps get tasks done more efficiently and gives you more time to spend outdoors.
To help keep track of the time you’re spending outdoors and if it’s helping you boost productivity in other areas, check out our free .pdf downloadable Time Log. It’s from The Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook and can be a helpful tool in getting started with an outdoor-related goal.
Barrier #3: “I hate being outdoors.”
Well…this one is a bit trickier, but in the long run–worth the effort. If the great outdoors is not your favorite spot to spend time, we recommend starting small. Integrate brief outdoor moments into your existing daily routine. Maybe it’s just a 5-minute walk during a lunch break or one 20-minute session per week. Gradually increase the duration as it becomes a habit and experiment with different activities and locations until you find what works best for you.
Barrier #4: “I don’t know where to get started.”
This is where getting some support involved can be helpful. Contact a trusted friend or family member and describe why you’d like to try getting outdoors for a boost in executive functioning skills. Or, reach out to an executive functioning coach who can help you plan and achieve a goal around getting more time outdoors.
TL;DR – (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
Spending time outdoors has a profound impact on enhancing executive functioning skills for neurodivergent individuals. It offers a natural, accessible remedy for improving planning, organization, time management, emotional control, and sustained attention.
Research underscores the cognitive and psychological benefits of nature exposure, from reducing stress and depression to boosting overall physical health.
This guide delves into practical strategies to incorporate nature into daily life, including strategies like:
- planning regular nature breaks into daily routines.
- finding outdoor activities you enjoy.
- leveraging technology to discover local green spaces.
- logging outdoor time and it’s benefits.
- starting small for those less inclined towards outdoor activities.
- and seeking support to get started.
Further Reading
- Bailey et. al., – Cognitive benefits of walking in natural versus built environments
- De Greeff et al., – Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis.
- Jimenez et al., – Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence
- Life Skills Advocate – Understanding the Executive Functioning Ripple Effect
- Life Skills Advocate – From School To Home: How To Promote Generalization Of Executive Functioning Skills