What Are The Mental Health Benefits of Camping in an RV Outdoors?

In recent years mental health has become a top concern for many people. We have all been through a lot regardless of where we live. COVID 19 has taken a toll on the hearts and minds of all citizens. Many people are now working from home due to changes made by employers during the pandemic and many of us were put into lockdown for months at a time in the heart of the commotion. Regardless if you spent much of your pandemic time at home, are now working from home, or just had a tough time during the roughest parts of the lockdown, we all know just how tough it can be to be cooped up at home during stressful times. One thing that has helped countless people with this type of stress is simply spending more time outdoors. 

Nature is proven to be an incredibly healing force. Not only does it provide endless areas for physical health, it is also incredibly helpful for your psychological health. With people now relying much more on technology and urban centres for their everyday needs, nature has been put on the backburner. One way to get back into nature is to take advantage of the simple luxury of an RV vacation. This type of vacation is the perfect way for people who are not familiar with camping to get the most out of nature. Anyone struggling with the stress of city life can take advantage of the benefits of spending time in nature. Here are some of the best perks of taking an RV vacation in nature.

Getting Active

Taking an RV vacation will ultimately lead you to spend your time away at an RV campground. These campgrounds often offer great hiking trails, outdoor common spaces, beaches and pavilions. This is a great way to get more active, increase your blood flow and get your heart pumping. Increasing your activity levels is a great way to boost serotonin and improve overall cognitive brain function. You can always invest in hiking and camping gear to help you make the most of your time outdoors on your RV vacation. People who exercise outdoors on a daily basis have higher brain function and are at a lower risk of anxiety and depression. Just imagine the exhilaration of hiking to the most beautiful spot in the park and watching the sunset. 

Increase Happiness

Spending more time outdoors and being more active is a great way to increase overall happiness levels. It has been proven that regularly being outdoors in the fresh air helps most people feel happier on a more constant basis. This is one of the reasons some people experience seasonal affective disorder in the winter months, as we tend to stay inside to avoid the cold and harsh winter weather. RV vacations are a great way to drive into nicer weather when the weather in your own area is getting a bit too dreary. The possibilities are endless when you’ve got a vacation on wheels. People also claim that cooking and eating outdoors is another way to boost happiness and turn a stressful day into a restful one. 

Relaxation

People are much more inclined to relax and reduce stress levels when they are outdoors. Recent research by Harvard University says that even something as small as 20 minutes in nature has been proven to reduce stress hormone levels, with the peak times for stress relief being between 20 – 30 minutes. A simple walk outside or a break sitting outdoors on the local park bench will do. People find it particularly calming to be around large bodies of water. Luckily, many RV campgrounds are situated on lakes, rivers or even the ocean. People looking for a beautiful campsite and relaxing vibe should check out RV campgrounds in Ontario, Canada. If 20 minutes outdoors can lower stress just imagine what a whole weekend would do!

Increase Vitamin D

Vitamin D is something that we will all lack at one time or another. This was particularly true during COVID lockdowns. The most natural way to get enough vitamin D each day is to spend time outdoors in the sunlight. RV camping provides an excellent way to do this. Sunlight is just a few steps away at any given time, and some models of RV even have great large windows and skylights to let in as much sunlight as you’d like. Increasing your daily intake of vitamin D is known to help with mood stabilization, decrease anxiety & depression and even helps to support weight loss. We could all afford to spend a few more healthy minutes in the sun everyday to help with our mental health. 

Decreased Stress = Lower Blood Pressure

All of the previously mentioned benefits of an RV vacation in nature are amazing in their own right. Yet they all lead to an even better health benefit, which is lower blood pressure. Increasing your moods, activity levels and happiness contributes to lowering your stress hormones and at the same time lowering your blood pressure. High blood pressure and stress are an endless cycle. Stress increases your blood pressure, and having high blood pressure increases your stress. What better way to stop this vicious cycle in its tracks, than to take an RV vacation and spend more time outdoors. Doctors everywhere are telling patients to increase their outdoor exposure, so do yourself a favour and start planning your next RV vacation. It’s for your own health!

There is no need to stress about sleeping on the ground or hurting yourself like you would in traditional camping. RV vacations provide amenities, luxury and the ability to visit the outdoors stress free. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of all of these benefits that will allow you to feel happier and healthier. Put your mental health first this year and get out and explore. RV vacations are simply the best way to experience nature while living in comfort, and helping your mental health at the same time. Plan your next vacation now and take advantage of beautiful North America.