OM STORIES
Sometimes you just need a giggle!
Life can be stressful… I don’t think anyone would deny that statement. With a dog post-ACL surgery waiting for me at home in a cone (which she hates!), the expenses and stresses of moving to a new town, and what seemed to be a slew of lame things happening to my friends weighing on my mind, I was walking home from work one evening when I passed the Bozeman Center for the Arts and noticed a strategic piece of graffiti that brought a smile to my face. Someone had spray painted a ‘F’ in front of the word ‘Arts’ on the sign outside the building so that the sign read “Bozeman Center of the Farts”. Immature – yes. Vandalism – also true. Funny – without a doubt! I found myself laughing the rest of the way home, and
MAN IT FELT GOOD
. For me, sometimes I just need a good laugh to help turn my mind and my day around, and I know the others on the Board of Directorsfor Outdoor Mindset feel the same way. That is actually one of our main values
we wanted preserve when creating Outdoor Mindset, to incorporate humor in all that what we do. We want to make people laugh and smile, despite any other neurological craziness going on in their lives. Sometimes we can be quirky… would anyone agree with that? I mean have you seen the video we submitted for the
Cultivate Wines Non-Profit video contest, The Give
(Oh yeah, and also, please vote for us here every day from now until June 30th so we can win some moolah to spend on our Members!) I don’t think you could NOT crack a smile when a suited up Kyle Martin comes rolling down the road towards the camera and then almost runs right into the thing (right at the 1:15 mark for anyone who may have missed it. Your welcome, Kyle.)
So please, try to have a giggle. Sometimes you can’t just go out and find it when you need it, so let it find you, too. No matter what’s going on in your day, in your week, or even in your BRAIN, try to find a smile or some laughter somewhere out there because I promise it’s going to make you feel better.
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
- E.E. Cummings (<< See, it's not just me that thinks so... this famous guy backs me up)
Laughing all the way,
Jill
Social Connections and the Internet: the OM healthcare reform
Is OutdoorMindset a beneficial organization?
This has been a very important aspect of our development and we have all worked really hard to back up our vision with scholarly research. We broke down the research into 3 important aspects of OM -physical activity, social connections, and Internet use. As you can imagine there is a plethora of information and research out there on these topics, so as we narrow down our findings, I’ll keep the information coming.
To no surprise at all, we were able to find support in the articles that physical activity is beneficial to health. To take that common known fact further we dug a little deeper. Research studies have also found that people who engage in physical activity are more likely to have hopeful feelings about their future and reach goals they have set. Studies have also found that physical activity not only improved physical health but also improved mental health shown by a more positive attitude and confidence in oneself.
In another study the effects of Green exercise were evaluated. That study defines green exercise as any activity done in the presence of nature. Green exercise improves self-esteem and mood, as well as increases positive long-term and short-term health benefits. Green exercise is exactly what OM is all about!
Many studies have found that participants who engage in exercise on a regular basis have a higher health related quality of life and show a slower decline in general quality of life. In relation to mental health, it has been shown over and over again that exercise and physical activity are related to lower levels of depression. Engaging in physical activity increases the amount of neurotransmitters, monoamines and endorphins, i.e. dopamine and serotonin, being released from the brain. These neurotransmitters are related to positive feelings and the pleasure senses of our brain, thus increasing positive mental health.
As you can see from our research findings, there is definitely a positive relationship between physical activity and both physical and mental health. Being active is a main focus of OutdoorMindset so we are thrilled to have the information to back us up in that area. Being a research nerd who gets excited about reading small black and white print, I am beyond ecstatic from our outcomes thus far and I can’t wait to explore the other topics. More good news to come!