In the summer, lots of people take holidays and spend more time outdoors. The benefits of recreation and leisure, nevertheless, truly span all seasons. While most individuals enjoy holidays and such activities as hobbies, sports, and exercise, few recognise the entire spectrum of benefits linked to routine leisure and recreation activities.

Feeling this type of connection is very important to our sense of well-being and reassurance. The therapeutic value of parks, open space and wilderness in our surroundings is thoroughly documented by behavioural scientists across a wide variety of disciplines. Human beings frequently miss the tranquillity and wonder of the natural world denied us by urban and modern lifestyles. The simple act of going outside to consider a moment can bring clarity and restoration to cognitive processes cluttered by the hectic pace and restricted nature of contemporary life.

Bringing outdoor elements into your office and living spaces can help counteract the lack of nature there. Houseplants, herb gardens, aquariums, landscape art and windows with a view can make indoor spaces more comfortable, effective, and curative. The use of pure colours, textures, light, designs and images help create a more pleasant habitat for newly domesticated human beings that secretly hunger for a more natural environment.

Experience Adventure

Extreme sports such as rock climbing, river rafting, snowboarding, surfing, scuba diving and skydiving are accessible and beginner-friendly for those willing to pay for specialist instruction. Maybe your idea of excitement may be bungee jumping, mountain biking, boating, hot-air ballooning or training for a race. Scientists have established a genetic and neurological basis for thrill-seeking behaviour and confirmed the appetite for these experiences is hardwired into the brain. Persistent thrill-seekers have a higher demand for this sort of stimulation, in some cases developing compulsions for an experience like drug addiction. Though some people are genetically predisposed to crave excitement over others, everyone’s brain reacts to the dopamine, which gets released when our fight-or-flight instinct becomes activated. The thrill of experience pushes the mind into a state of heightened awareness and a sense of being truly alive.

But a word of warning: These activities could be extremely addictive!