by Kathleen Whalen
Center Editor
Last week, I loaded up my gym bag, hopped in the car, and drove the few blocks from my house to the athletic club. I circled the parking lot a few times, hoping to find a spot close to the front entrance. I noticed several other people using the same strategy. After wasting five minutes, I settled on a spot a grueling 50 feet farther from where I had hoped to park, and went into the facility to begin my workout.
This situation, which seems to be not only my own experience but many of my peers’ as well, got me thinking—why was I driving my car to a building where I would go inside and run or ride a bicycle, surrounded by artificially circulating air? Judging by the simplicity of the question, the answer should be easy; unfortunately, it is not.
Technology has allowed us to transport ourselves faster and more conveniently and, as a result, we are losing touch with the outdoors. Saving time is paramount in our busy and stressful lives; consequently, appreciating nature gets put on the back burner. Society today is to blame for the decrease in time that the average American spends outdoors. The media instills fear in us, a fear of the negative situations that can arise when in nature. We hear news stories of horrific disasters, and the entertainment industry sensationalizes animal attacks and other calamities. As a result, perhaps fear and paranoia are parts of the reason why people are spending less time on the trail and more time on the treadmill.
Even greater is the lure of the products of a digital age: TVs and computers, video games, and other electronics and technological advancements. In more ways than one, they improve our lifestyles, helping us to communicate and interact like never before. But they also have complicated our lives and have given us the need for everything to be faster and more convenient. For many teens, simply enjoying a moment of outdoor beauty is considered boring when up against a faced-paced video game; a national park cannot compete with Disneyland. We have become accustomed to the feeling of being connected to everyone else in the world at all times, and it is hard to let that go and to be solitary for a while.
Many of the ways that we interact with nature reflect not only the present but also our childhoods. In school, we learned everything about, for example, the rainforest, but little gave us a connection to it. We have fostered a relationship with nature that is purely intellectual, something to read about, to see on the Discovery Channel. Concerned adults restricted our access to roam outdoors, our yards were manicured, and our schedules overcrowded with activities from soccer practice to piano lessons. Simply being outside, being imaginative, was seen as a waste of time.
In 1984, the controversial “biophilia complex” was coined by Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson. He stated that all humans have an instinctive connection to other living things due to the fact that humans have interacted and coexisted with the natural world so closely for so long. Essentially, he determined that a subconscious connection with the “rest of life” was a biological need. In addition, a study completed by the University of Illinois further reinforced the benefits of nature. It demonstrated that increased exposure to nature can reduce symptoms of ADHD, reduce stress, increase creativity, and increase cognitive skills. When outdoors, we use all of our senses to their fullest extent, contributing to better mental and spiritual health. In no other way are we able to step back and be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves, where everything is connected. Being able to appreciate the outdoors also fosters a sense of autonomy. Organized sports are said to build character through rules, regulations, and discipline. Outdoor experiences achieve the same goals, though in ways that are harder to measure because nature is more complex than any game or playing field.
Spending more time in nature does not require taking a road trip to Yosemite or other faraway destination. We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The area is abundant with open space and hiking trails; and nearby beaches do exist without homes lining them. It is not even necessary to get in the car to experience the outdoors. Allow yourself to skip the gym once in a while and run on the Creek Trail instead. Sit in your backyard and take in your surroundings.
Spending time in the outdoors should be seen as less of an inconvenience and more of a necessary part of survival. In this day and age of hyper-consumerism and mind-boggling speed, it becomes increasingly necessary to distance oneself from all the hype, and become part of the bigger picture, if only for a little while.