Since yesterday’s post was rather lengthy and also gave you tips to a happier you, I’ll make today’s tip simple and easy.
Go outside! Just as in today’s prescription verse, there are many references in scripture to the calming power of nature–God’s creation.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)
But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10 (ESV)
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 6:28-30 (ESV)
I have found that when I am indoors working all day, just a few minutes walking outside will help me feel refreshed and will lift my mood. If I get a headache from looking at a computer screen too long, I can walk outside, take a breath of fresh air, and it will disappear.
There haven’t been any specific studies that I could find linking Vitamin D (which our bodies produce when we are exposed to sunlight) to depression. There are, however, many implications that Vitamin D may be related to depression when we consider Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a depressive disorder that occurs often during cold, winter months that occurs because people don’t get enough sunlight and exposure to UVB rays.
An article I read recently on MSN suggests one of the reasons Americans in history were not so affected by depression:
“What it means: “For 300,000 generations, humans were hunter-gatherers and farmers,” says Pretty. “Yet for the last six to eight generations, we have been living in an increasingly industrialized world. The disconnection from nature is deeply felt.” Which is why a mere five minutes of nature can have such a profound impact, he says. “That small amount of time makes more sense when you see it in the context of where people are coming from—stepping outside from a stressful day, for example,” he says. In many cases, the effect can be almost immediate; your mood lifts as if by magic.” Here’s the link to read more: MSN article: Five Minutes Outside Can Boost Your Mood
Also, the number of people on antidepressants in the United States is staggering. One out of every ten Americans over the age of 12 years old is taking and antidepressant. What are we doing wrong that Americans are searching out prescriptions for depression? I recently read an international article alluding to the fact that other countries look at Americans as a bunch of psychos because of all of the psychotropic drugs that we take. Now that can make me SAD. Here is the link to the article if you’d like to see more statistics: CDC Statistics on Antidepressant Use
God gave us instruction in His word, and now without realizing it, scientists are proving that following these instructions are exactly what we need!
From my heart,
Celeste
