The Power of Stepping Outside: Why Getting Outdoors Helps Teachers Reset
When your day feels full and your mind is racing, the simplest way to reset might be to step outdoors. Teaching can be incredibly rewarding, but it also demands constant focus, energy, and emotional presence. Between lesson planning, marking, and caring for students, it’s easy to feel stretched thin.
Spending even a few minutes outside can have a remarkable effect on your well-being. Research shows that time in nature reduces stress hormones, improves attention and memory, boosts creativity, and enhances mood. For teachers, these benefits are more than just nice-to-haves; they are essential tools for maintaining balance and preventing burnout.
Whether it’s a short walk around the block, sitting quietly under a tree, or simply stepping outside your classroom between periods, nature offers a pause that helps you slow down and reconnect with yourself. It’s a simple, accessible way to feel more grounded in the middle of a busy school day.
5 Practical Ways to Reconnect with Nature and Recharge
1. Step Outside Between Tasks
Take a brief walk or spend a few minutes outdoors between classes or meetings. Fresh air and natural light help clear the mind and improve focus for whatever comes next.
2. Turn Meetings into Walks
When possible, take staff catch-ups, planning discussions, or mentoring conversations outdoors. Walking side-by-side often leads to more relaxed, authentic conversations and sparks creative thinking.
3. Create Opportunities for Outdoor Moments
You don’t always need to leave the school grounds. Try marking by a window, holding form time in the courtyard, or taking lunch in a green space. Even short moments surrounded by nature can lift your energy and improve concentration.
4. Aim for Two Hours in Nature Each Week
Studies show that spending around 120 minutes in nature each week improves wellbeing, sleep, and vitality. Breaking it into small chunks, a walk after school, time in the garden, or a weekend beach visit all count.
5. Reflect and Reground Outside
Use nature as a space to pause and reset. Notice what’s around you: the sound of birds, the feel of the wind, the warmth of the sun. This mindful attention to your surroundings helps regulate emotions, slow your thoughts, and restore perspective after a busy day.
Why It Matters
Teachers give so much of themselves to others. Taking time outdoors isn’t indulgent; it’s necessary. When you prioritise moments in nature, you return to the classroom calmer, clearer, and more present. You model self-care for your students and remind them that balance is something worth protecting.
So next time your marking pile feels endless or your brain feels full, step outside. Breathe, notice, move, and let the fresh air do the work. You’ll come back feeling more like yourself and more ready to teach with energy and heart.
Join the Movement
At Nurturing Educators, we believe that small daily habits can create big shifts in teacher well-being. This week, set yourself a challenge: spend two hours in nature. It doesn’t need to be all at once; just a few minutes at a time adds up.
Notice how it changes the way you feel, think, and teach. And if you discover a great outdoor spot near your school, share it with others. Together, we can build a culture of teachers who pause, breathe, and step outside to reset.
