There is something special about being outside. It makes you feel alive. It’s the sunlight on the lake, sparkling like thousands of diamonds, or the sweet taste of a cold piece of watermelon on a hot summer night. It’s the overwhelming scent of honeysuckle growing in your backyard, the warm summer breeze on your face, and the sound of kids laughing and playing in the background.

When people use the phrase “simple pleasures”, this is what they’re talking about.

I could have written this post about all the reasons that being outdoors is good for humans. It’s good for us physically, providing fresh air, purified by the millions of living air filters we call plants. Exposure to sunlight regulates sleep, improves our mood, and lets our skin produce the Vitamin D that we need. Study after study has shown that being outdoors is great for our mental and emotional wellbeing. It’s also good for us spiritually, allowing us time to find peace and tranquility, to be still, to rest.

But, you’ve heard all that before, and even if you haven’t, we all know it intrinsically anyway. Like I said, there’s just something special about being outside. Our problem is not that we don’t know that we should go outside, it’s that we don’t do it! So here are four easy ways that you can spend more time outside, enjoying life.

• Exercise outside.

We have a problem with pride in the modern world; we think we’re more highly developed and smarter than anyone who has lived before us. But can you imagine what people who lived even 150 years ago would think of our actions these days? On a beautiful day we’ll come outside, get in our cars, burn fuel and money driving miles to another stuffy building where we pay the owner for the privilege of running on a spinning belt like a hamster on a wheel. Then we move to another part of the room and pick up heavy things, but not for any purpose, just to set them back down again! Exhausted, we climb back into our cars, drive home, go inside and lay down on the couch.

Admit it, it’s just weird. And not simple. Go outside and get your exercise there – walk, run, bike, rollerblade, do pushups, crunches, pullups, whatever. Save money, save the environment, and train your muscle groups for real life situations, not just isolated exercises. Do your workout… out.

• Take a walk outside, with family or friends.

Great conversations can happen in the house, no doubt, but there is something about taking a walk together that makes talking easier and more enjoyable. Be sure to walk slow enough that you can still talk to each other; this is walking for community, not conditioning. Take notice of the little things as you walk together… the aroma of fresh cut grass, the towering of the trees, the simple elegance of the flowers.

Be aware of the other people around you, too – are your neighbors out in the yard? Stop and talk to them – if you don’t know them, introduce yourselves. People are forever moaning and groaning about the breakdown of small communities in the modern world, but they don’t stop and talk to their neighbors, either. We should put our money where our mouth is, and just do it. We’ll be glad we did.

• Live outside

Okay, I know that you can’t live outside all the time, at least not comfortably and safely, but there is a exciting movement towards creating outdoor living spaces. Grilling is more popular than ever, and some people are even building full blown outdoor kitchens. Living room style areas with campfire pits or even fireplaces are becoming more popular. Creative use of your outdoor space is a cheap way to extend your house without actually adding on, and creates a relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for having friends over for dinner or enjoying a romantic outdoor dinner with your spouse or significant other.

• Work outside.

This is one that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but it ought to. I love working outside, and I do it as much as I can. Inspiration comes easier when I’m outdoors – I’m relaxed and in a place where I can put my best creative thinking to work. Do I listen to music while I work? You bet: the symphony of the great outdoors. Birds singing, bugs flying around, woodpeckers pecking, squirrels scurrying around in the trees and bushes. When I talk outside, I’m just adding my voice to the eclectic ensemble gathered around me.

Unfortunately I’m not outside right now, but I positioned myself right next to some big bay windows looking over Boardman Lake, so as you can see in the picture on the left, I’m still benefiting from the nice view and the natural lighting.

•••

I like and respect the work of interior designers, especially those of the more minimalist persuasion. But have you ever noticed that as elaborate as houses are, no one is talking about “the great indoors”? There’s a reason for that. In the Biblical narrative, God placed our first parents in what, an airtight, enclosed space with central air-conditioning and heat, an iPad and a Wii? No… He put them in a garden. When we spend time outside, we’re connecting with the way it was, the way things were meant to be.

In 2004, June was named “Great Outdoors Month… so let’s celebrate it! We are blessed with the opportunity to experience so many amazing things, every single day. Next time you’re out, take a second and breathe as deeply as you can. Don’t be ashamed to dance in the rain. Build a campfire, invite some friends over, make some S’mores, and sit around telling stories. Just don’t waste the amazing, simple pleasures that we’ve been given. It will be GREAT, you just have to go OUT the DOOR.

So what do you do outside that’s not on the list? It’s that time of year when we all are looking for creative ways to spend time outdoors, so let’s learn from each other in the comments! And if you enjoyed the post, please  help us out and “Like “or retweet! Thanks!