Enjoy Some Fresh Air
 |
| Enjoying the fresh air. Photo by Megan Gallagher |
Ah, fresh air feels good because it is good for us
Today we come back to breathing, we can't live for long without doing it and the way we do it makes a difference to how we think, feel and act. We don't even think about it most of the time so it's well worth giving some extra attention to how we breathe and what we breath in today.
There are so many benefits to making the effort to getting some fresh air.
Think about it: 20% of what we breathe in goes to the brain, even though the brain is only 2% of our body weight, so the quality of what we breathe in is important for our thinking and learning. Spending time in fresh air can help us have more focus and clarity of thinking- handy to remember for those days when we get a mid-afternoon slump.
Fresh air also improves a range of body system functions like digestion, immune and respiratory as clean, fresh air gives us the life giving oxygen that helps to fuel our cells and ensure things run well.
I know time in fresh air energises me, an example of this happened today. Part of my vege garden was overrun with weeds and motivation to do anything about it had been at an all time low for a few weeks. Today I decided to just make a start, so made a commitment to do 20 minutes. Once I started though I felt more energised and was enjoying being in the fresh air so much that I ended up doing about 90 minutes before we had to go out and when I got back I went straight back out to the garden. I felt more motivated and energised. It is evening now and I am writing this post feeling a satisfied tiredness coming on that tells me I will sleep well tonight- fresh air helps me sleep better too.
So how might you incorporate fresh air time every day?
Just a note about the weather: we had a week of rain recently but that didn't mean that we were inside all day every day, getting outside was actually rejuvenating. We could still breathe in the fresh air, in fact it felt cleaner and fresher in the rain, and we got the added benefit of the feeling of rain on our faces. Dancing in the rain is, of course, optional but while you are out there you may as well!
I also know I am blessed to live in a small rural town that affords us lots of opportunities to breathe fresh air outside easily. If you are stuck inside you might open a window, even just a fraction. If you live in a busy city, you might find a green space like a park to visit or get up early so you can breathe in before the traffic is too busy. If you work inside and you have long commutes meaning you leave home early and get home late, perhaps at a break time you could go outside and eat lunch or have a short walk before returning to your desk or office or classroom. No matter where you are, if you can take a little time every day to breathe fresh air, or air that is as fresh as possible, your brain and body will thank you.
The Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit. This is an opportunity to start your year with tips, tools and techniques to ensure you have the health, energy and vitality to beat the end of term slump and fatigue, and be the best version of yourself all year long. For more information please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/
No comments:
Post a Comment