Nearly everyday upon going to school, I never leave the building. On the off chance a teacher does a lesson outside, or I walk down to the barn during my anatomy class, I get a chance to be outside; but other than those occasions, Food for America, and Earth Day, I, among everyone else, am bound inside. While I don’t mind this in the winter, and on other bad weather days, it can be very miserable to be stuck inside on beautiful days of spring, fall, and summer.

     Many studies do show how beneficial being outside is for not only mental health but for emotional and physical health too. Being outside in the sun can give students a chance to get fresh air, vitamin d, and a beneficial boost of serotonin (a “feel good” neurotransmitter hormone that regulates mood). This all helps to improve immune system health, focus, sleep regulation and even digestive health too, not only just provide a better mood. Many classes are unable to go outside, and that is understandable as it can be tricky to teach some lessons in a different environment, but one time that all students could get the option to go outside on these beautiful days is lunch. The key word here is option.

     Many students would not prefer to sit outside on the tables near the cafeteria during lunch, and some are allergic to bees that could be outside ( as if they don’t come out of nowhere in the middle of a classroom anyways), but the option would be open for those who want to go. This may all come down to responsibility, but many high school students are responsible for their classes, sports, driving, and even jobs too, so having the option to sit outside on beautiful days should simply be something that is trusted as a given.

     School is also surrounded around the basis of education which naturally comes with stress due to the academic pressure of constant tests and assignments, especially in high school. High cortisol ( a stress hormone) can lead to many side effects such as anxiety, fatigue, weight gain, hair loss and even insomnia too. The serotonin and dopamine hormones counteract these side effects and in fact reduce stress, improving the health of many. Being cramped up inside, with stress and a lack of sun, does no benefit to a student compared to what a small amount of sun could do on a nice day during lunch break.

     At the end of the day, we could all use a breath of fresh air, even if it’s as simple as sitting outside for lunch on a nice day.