Get lost in nature: The Benefits of Camping
Being busy in the hustle and bustle of daily life where you are constantly working, studying, and taking on all kinds of responsibilities can make it quite difficult to find a good balance of work with fun and leisure time with friends, family, and even yourself. That is why getaways and holidays are so important in helping you unwind, de-stress, and reconnect with the world. And the best form of holiday where you can get all those benefits is none other than camping itself.
Now, a lot of people would argue and say that taking an exotic trip to a fancy destination where you can stay in an expensive hotel is the best way one can spend your holiday. But, avid campers and nature lovers will say otherwise. Camping is an ideal vacation trip, which is not only good for you as an individual, but is especially good for families as well. There are so many positive impacts that can come about from camping that help you both physically and mentally.
You can spend time in the great outdoors in a clean and healthy environment where you can learn so much while also reducing the stress that has been plaguing your mental health from the responsibilities of daily life. And to help you understand just what kind of benefits you can take away from camping, we have come up with an ideal list backed up by science and camping experts which is sure to make you start planning for a camping trip for your next vacation.
Breathing in the Fresh Air
Starting with the most important benefit of camping is being outside in the fresh air. If you have lived most of your life in the city or if you live close to one, you are most likely not breathing in fresh air. There have been studies that have brought forward evidence that suggests that the air quality in the city is not as clean as you would find it in the wilderness. Breathing in fresh air not only replenishes your lungs, but also boosts your mood, increases energy levels, improves digestion, and balances your heart rate.
Getting Back to Your Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm, which is the natural cycle of your mental, physical, and behavioral changes that occur in the body within a 24-hour cycle, works better when you are camping. Nowadays, artificial lighting, smartphones, and computers have taken over the daily lives of people. This leads to a lack of sleep and increases stress levels that hurt our overall health. That is why it is important to go out camping outdoors as the activities you do around this time involve no artificial lighting and no smartphones or computers to distract you. Instead, you will be spending your time participating in activities in an outdoor environment and going to sleep early. This will, in turn, help in reducing your anxiety, and stress levels, and allow you to feel more rejuvenated.
Building Relationships and Teamwork
Quality time with family and friends is always a great way to get closer to loved ones. There are several family camping tents and canvas tents that are big enough for larger groups of people. Playing board games, going on walks, storytelling, and chatting around a campfire are some of the simple things that are all you need to reconnect. Other than camping being a great way to bring a group of people together, it also brings forward opportunities to participate in team bonding activities. These activities can include looking for firewood, setting up camp, and cooking food, which can be divided into groups to boost teamwork and create a sense of belonging.
Developing New Skills
Another great thing about camping is that it presents new skills you can learn that you may not have necessarily used in your daily life. This can involve things like pitching up a tent, starting fires, preparing food without a proper kitchen, tying knots, and more. Some people choose a hunting tent since it is the perfect tent for people who like to hunt, fish, raft, camp, or do various kinds of outdoor activities that involve making use of different skills. Certain tools can further help you out in investing your time in learning new skills. For example, having firewood log carriers allows you to collect a lot of wood and start your fire to cook your meals or huddle around the campfire on a cold night.
Enhancing Self-Awareness
Since our daily life is constantly filled with a myriad of activities, responsibilities, and tasks, we often end up getting distracted from the small important things in life and end up losing our self-awareness capabilities. Camping is the perfect opportunity that not only provides you with a space to be yourself in peace and quiet but also keeps you away from any distractions that take stock of your life. You will instead spend your time thinking about the priorities in your life and learn things about yourself in ways you might not have expected.
Healthier Food
When it comes to camping, you generally tend to eat food that is far healthier than meals you would have otherwise eaten at home. You won't be able to rely on fast food joints since most of them will not be within driving distance. You will have to take all your food with you when you go camping, which is a much better alternative than relying on the food back home. Plus, camping requires you to cook your food on top of a fire, which is a fantastic way to eat food that is good for your body and there are so many unique recipes out there that focus on cooking it over an open fire.
Daily Exercise
When we say the word ‘exercise’, many of you would start thinking about moments when you are going on long runs or sweating in the gym. However, exercise simply means to be in a state where you are moving and increasing your heart rate. There are so many activities that involve movement in camping, such as finding kindling for fire, setting up your tent, cooking food, walking or hiking through the terrain, and so much more. And for those who like the idea of camping rough, they will need to catch their food through hunting or fishing, all of which require a lot of movement. Exercise has always been a crucial factor in sustaining a healthier body, soul, and mind and with camping, simply doing your daily tasks will provide you with just enough exercise to keep you healthy.
Low-Cost Holiday
A lot of good holidays will break your bank to make you get the most out of your exotic trip. However, camping is one of the few forms of vacation that will give you a bang for your buck. This is an ideal trip for those who are budget-conscious and for those who have lower incomes but want to enjoy a good time during their vacations. Many veteran campers would even say that staying at home is even more expensive than camping out, if you take into consideration the cost of movies, getting take-outs, or having other organized activities. You can build a pretty good camping setup without the need for any trailer. All you will need to do is invest in good camping gear and take a few accessories from home such as food, cooking tools, and clothes and you are already on your way to having a blast on your camping trip.
Serving as an Alternative Therapy
For people who deal with mental health issues, several research studies have shown that camping can be an effective form of alternative therapy. Studies that talk about patients who were previously resistant to traditional types of therapies were sent to the forest to spend their days away camping. As a result, it was found that this action led to an improvement in their mental health, which resulted in a significant decrease in their depression and anxiety. Camping also helps make people feel happier by releasing endorphins when spending time outdoors and doing various fun activities. The sun provides the body with melatonin and Vitamin D, which are chemicals that induce feelings of depression and tiredness.
