Green Time (Perhaps You Require It)
At this point, we all know that going outside is good for us. But it turns out some of us are hardwired to need it a little bit more than others.
Green time, as it’s been dubbed, is an important tool in the ADHD toolbox for managing symptoms and maintaining emotional wellbeing. There are emotional, sensory, and physiological benefits to getting enough green time. And there’s no better time to start planning for that than now, as our first 70° days are behind us and the buds are starting to peek out on the tree branches.
If you are someone with ADHD—or you know someone with ADHD—you know how restless sitting in one place for too long can make us. Our brains want varied sensory inputs, which means that doing one thing for too long or sitting in the same position for too long can be physically or emotionally frustrating for us.
This is doubled when that one thing that we’re doing includes screen time. Our devices, be they laptops or phones or tablets, are essentially tiny machines that provide us dopamine, which is chronically low in ADHD brains. Unfortunately, like candy, the energy that we get from that dopamine is short-lived.
Green time gives us more sustainable dopamine that can help us transfer that energy into tasks that don’t give us dopamine, like sending emails or doing homework. ADHD experts suggest green time as a sort of sensory reset—a way to drastically change our sensory inputs in order to give ourselves a break from tasks and environments that tax our brains.
This reset improves our focus, our emotional regulation, and gives us a break from performing “indoor” behavior. Anyone who’s worked with kids knows that they need time to run around and speak loudly, and some of us still need that long after our age is in double digits.
There are physiological benefits as well—along with all the endorphins that come with being outside (and especially exercising outside), being outside can provide vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. Even taking slow walks in nature can lower blood pressure, reduce hyperactivity, and lower the level of cortisol (our body’s primary stress hormone). Just remember to pack sunscreen!
There are a lot of different ways to get green time. There are the obvious ways, such as taking a walk through the woods, or going hiking, or mountain biking. But there are also other ways to get green time. Joining an outdoor sports league like sand court volleyball or disc golf can be green time. Gardening or reading outside also works as green time for non-sports people.
You could even do what I did in high school: I put on a hoodie and lay face down in the grass on sunny days when I came home from school. I’m sure that sounds odd, but it worked.
Any way that you can be out in nature is effective green time. If you’re someone who works from home and you don’t have access to a backyard or a park, you can try working in front of an open window that faces some trees or grass. Or grow plants on your windowsill to bring some of that greenness into your home.
If you’re a parent or guardian to a child with ADHD, try scheduling time a couple days a week to take your kid to the park or play outside with them. This has benefits for both you and your kid!
For those with ADHD, try to be as present in that time as possible—green time is less effective if you’re looking at your phone the whole time. It can feel boring at first, but the further you disconnect from interferences like your phone, the more beneficial it’ll be for you. It won’t be easy at first, but it’s worth it.
And you can try things like birding—ADHD brains are great at noticing little things like birds or birdsong that others without ADHD tend to tune out. The sky is literally the limit for green time!
Like with any other coping mechanism for ADHD, this is not a replacement for therapy or medication, but another tool that helps us manage our symptoms. No matter whether we’re having a good day or a bad day with our ADHD, green time can help us relax, recharge, and reinvigorate our efforts towards the things we need to get done. ▼
Julian Harbaugh (they/them) is the Youth Peer Leader at CAMP Rehoboth. When they’re not writing, they can be found teaching their four rats new tricks, walking their dog, and roaming garage sales looking for antique philosophy books.
Photo: Johannes Plenio on Unsplash.com