As the weather warms and evenings stretch out, our daily lives naturally spill outdoors - moving from the couch to the patio, or from an indoor dinner to a casual evening braai.
This shift feels subtle, but science shows it delivers a major boost to our mental and physical well- being. From sharpening sleep cycles with natural daylight to cutting through screen fatigue, spending time outside doesn't require expensive gear, a fitness tracker, or a weekend escape to the mountains.
Stepping through the front door for just 20 minutes a day is one of the simplest, most effective health resets available, and it costs absolutely nothing.
There is a point in the year when staying indoors becomes less appealing.
Our evenings are lighter, the afternoons are warmer and almost without thinking about it, we start spending more time outside.
We sit on the patio instead of the couch, have coffee in the garden, start thinking about a braai during the week or decide that dinner would be better eaten outside.
It is a small change, but it can make a surprising difference to how we feel.
There is something about daylight
Research has consistently linked exposure to daylight and time spent outdoors with mood, sleep and general wellbeing.
One large study using data from more than 500,000 people found that greater exposure to outdoor light during the day was associated with better mood, greater happiness and fewer sleep-related problems.
The researchers also found that daylight exposure was associated with a more stable sleep-wake rhythm.
That doesn't mean we need to spend hours outside.
Something as easy as getting more natural light during the day can be beneficial.
This makes sense considering how much of modern life happens indoors.
We wake up inside, drive to work, spend the day inside, drive home and then spend the evening inside again.
Then the weather changes and we remember relaxing in the sun last summer.
A change of scenery
There is also something refreshing about changing our surroundings.
After several hours looking at a computer or phone screen, sitting outside and looking at something that isn't moving at the speed of the internet can be very calming.
A review of research into nature-based activities found evidence that spending time in green spaces can have positive effects on mental well-being, including mood and anxiety.
It doesn't require a mountain hike or a weekend in the bush.
It can be something simple like sitting under a tree, working in the garden, having lunch outside or taking a short drive somewhere with a view.
We become more social
The outdoors also changes the way we interact with other people.
During colder months, socialising can become something that needs to be organised, but warmer weather makes things easier.
Someone can drop in for a coffee, we can sit outside, and children can play while adults talk.
Give South Africans a warm evening and a bit of space, and somebody will eventually suggest lighting a fire and an impromptu braai.
Don’t make it complicated
Getting outside doesn’t need to be an activity that has to be scheduled.
You don't need expensive hiking equipment, a fitness tracker or a weekend away.
Sit outside while you have your morning coffee, eat lunch in the garden, take an alternate drive after work, do something in the garden that you've been putting off or read a book outside rather than in front of the television.
Even ten or 20 minutes can break up a day that has otherwise been spent indoors.
And unlike many of the things we promise ourselves we are going to do to improve our lives, none of this requires a subscription.
We should do more of it
There is a tendency to think of being outdoors as something we do on holiday.
We go to the coast, visit a game reserve or head into the mountains and then return to our normal lives.
We don't need to escape somewhere beautiful to benefit from being outside.
Sometimes the garden is enough; a quiet road, a park, a balcony or a chair in the sun is all we need.
There is a whole world outside the front door and as it turns out we might actually be better off spending a little more time in it.
willem.vdputte@inl.co.za