The Dallas County Health Department is encouraging people to help their mental health by getting outside and exploring. 

Health Navigation Coordinator Ann Cochran says that a common remedy to fighting mental health is getting outside and taking in the fresh air along with natural light. Cochran explains that roughly half of Americans don’t spend enough time outdoors and she notes that in Dallas County there are plenty of places to go to explore, such as parks and trails. She notes that just being outdoors for 30 minutes a day can improve someone’s health. 

“The results show that people have improved focus and ability to handle stress. So those are definitely things that a supervisor in a job wants in their employees, people who can pay attention and people who are able to cope with the stress of their workplace. The ability to learn new tasks improves when your emotional well-being is better.”

Cochran adds that people with mobility issues can utilize their back porch or somewhere with easy access outside. She encourages people that work eight hours a day to go outside during their lunch break.