Make the most of your time outdoors

We know that getting outside is good for our health, and data from 290 million people over twenty countries found that spending time in nature, or living close to it, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure as well as improving sleep. Many of us lead busy lives – so how do we make the most of our time outdoors?

Just Five Minutes

Dr Rangan Chatterjee has received glowing feedback for his suggestion to drink your morning cup of tea or coffee in the garden or by an open window while listening to birdsong. Just five minutes of morning daylight can set you up for a good day while morning light on the back of the retina has been shown to help set the body’s circadian rhythm to encourage better sleep. 

Move in Nature

Research has found that if we exercise in nature, rather than in a gym, we tend to exercise for longer. A study also found that people who exercise outdoors have higher levels of the hormone serotonin, which is associated with improved sleep and a happier mood. 

Make Contact with the Earth

There’s a mounting body of evidence that having contact with the bare earth through your feet, known as ‘grounding’, has positive health benefits. It may sound new age, but why not give it a try? Dr Rangan Chatterjee tries to do it throughout the year, even in winter, and reports that it wakes up his senses and feels fantastic. You could combine this ritual with your morning cup of tea outside.

Scents of Nature 

Bring the outdoors in by using a luxurious Reed Diffuser, lighting a Candle or spritzing your space with a Luxury Room Fragrance inspired by the scents of nature. Try the green, tart notes of Rhubarb Rhubarb!, mellow Golden Harvest, sappy and fresh Scots Pine or the floaty green floral notes of Willow Song. 

You are Never too Old to Play

Be inspired by the freedom of movement of childhood and rediscover skipping, swirling a hula hoop or playing catch. You could also try a local outdoor class such as tai chi, boot camp or outdoor yoga. Simply being in nature has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. 

Capture the Seasons

You could set yourself a creative challenge inspired by the changing seasons – for instance, take a photograph in the same outdoor location each day or collect and press the flowers or leaves that appear as the seasons change. Photographing a patch of flowers or a tree regularly from the same spot enables you to notice how it changes throughout the year. 

Each of our fragrances is inspired by the great British outdoors, from the Pinewood forests of the Scottish Highlands, the rugged coast of Northern Ireland, the kitchen gardens of Wales to the Roses and glass houses of an English country garden. You can discover our nature-inspired fragrances here.