Written by Journalism Staff Reporter Raquel Newson

As high schoolers, we tend to spend half of our day cooped up in classrooms either writing down notes as fast as your cramped up hands can go, typing an essay that was due a week ago in the last thirty minutes of class, or counting how many bricks there are in what is the wall of wonder. Needless to say, spending a little time outdoors every day would not be of any harm to you. In fact, there are several benefits that factor into going outside every day.  

According to The Natural Library of Medicine, being in the sun for even as much as five minutes can help your body absorb Vitamin D! The sun has scientifically been proven to help aid in Vitamin D insufficiency, so a little walk around your neighborhood or standing outside to get some fresh air would do your body wonderous favors. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8299926/#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20From%20the%20Sun&text=It%20is%20optimal%20to%20have,to%20effectively%20make%20vitamin%20D) 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/outdoors.htm), adds that, “Time outdoors may also promote mental health and stress reduction”. Sometimes when having a rough day, several people find that a nice run outside and some earbuds for the tunes help bring down their stress levels and contribute to them feeling much calmer as well. High school, as fun as it can be at times, also has its more complex and challenging times which can leave one feeling burnt out and anxious.  

It is important to remember to take time for yourself outside of school and take care of your body. Recharging yourself outside can be very beneficial in that nature and will leave you feeling very much refreshed and ready to go.