How to Improve Your Mental Health al Fresco

Images of tables and chairs huddle along narrow, ancient, stone streets. The tables are covered in solid colored table cloths held onto the table with little, silver clips. Warm golden lights are strung above. Terracotta vases are filled with flowers. Ivy is growing up the sun faded colors of stucco.

The moment has arrived. Your waiter brings you that plate of pasta you’ve been salivating over since you sat down. The sun has set. Now he lights the candle inside a simple glass globe on your table barely big enough for two. “Buon Appetito!” he says before leaving you to enjoy the experience of eating outdoors.

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Eating Outside is Good for You

Did you know that eating outdoors can actually be good for you? It can even improve your mental health.

In this fast-paced, technological age that we live in, who doesn’t want to slow it down a little? Who wouldn't want to make steps towards improving mental health? But, how do we do that?

For Italians, mangiare fuori (to eat outside) is a normal part of life. Maybe you are grabbing a caffè and a cornetto with a friend for breakfast. Or, maybe you're dining with the family, enjoying a beautiful outdoor dinner party in a nice garden with a game of bocce after the meal.

In any scenario, eating outdoors is most likely going to be the chosen outcome. I mean, can we just agree that when in Italy, it’s more fun to eat outside where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of that amazing part of the world!

In a country that has little air conditioning, eating outside is also out of the necessity to be more comfortable in the warmer months. During the cold months, you make do and just keep your coat on. You find a spot where you can prendere il sole and soak in those precious rays.

Italians have been eating outdoors for as long as their civilization began. The pre-Roman Etruscans loved cooking and eating outdoors as well. Today, the country is filled with outdoor dining options for you to choose from. There is a joy of outdoor dining that the Italians savor. Perhaps they know that there is more to outdoor dining than purely tradition. In fact, there are many health benefits why you should give it a try, too.

Health Benefits to Outdoor Dining

First, when we eat outdoors, we are immersed in nature. What do you hear and feel? 

Perhaps it’s the birds chirping, the sound of a stream, or the wind simply blowing. If you’re in a more urban setting, you might hear pigeons humming or the sound of the water from the fountain in the nearby piazza. 

You notice the plants and trees. Take in the fresh air. Watch the clouds dance and the natural sunlight fade as the day closes and makes way for stars to light up the sky.

These effects of nature do something amazing for us. In fact, they can actually reduce our body’s instinct to go into that fight/flight/freeze mode. This prevention helps improve our overall mental wellness.

Additionally, being outdoors has actually been proven to help lower the risk of depression and help us recover more quickly from psychological stress. By being out in nature we can restore and strengthen our mental state and help increase our focus and attention.

​​Studies actually show that being out in nature can lower your stress-hormone, cortisol, and even decrease your heart rate. 

Less stress.

Reduced anxiety.

Better mood.

Improved focus.

Better memory.

More creativity.

Okay, yes! Eating outdoors is actually good for you. Did you know that August 31 has even been named National Eat Outside Day?

But, let’s be honest. To see these benefits for our overall mental health, this is going to need to become a way of life for us.

Shared Community

Additionally, sharing life with others is beneficial for our mental health. No matter where we are enjoying a meal, it is best when it's shared with those we love.

When we spend time with people, we actually reduce the risk of many significant health problems. Shared community can help us to feel like we belong. It makes us feel like we aren't alone. It even helps give us confidence and reduces stress and anxiety.

I’m not a doctor or even a healthcare professional at that. So, this advice is simply my opinion. However, I think the Italians are onto something and have been for a long time. 

A New Rhythm of Eating Outside

With the warmer days ahead of us, we really have no excuse not to make a deposit into our own mental health. It’s the perfect time to try making this habit of eating outside a weekly or even a daily rhythm in our lives.

Go ahead and buy that umbrella for the patio. Get out the set of outdoor dishes that the kids can use. String up the lights. Take some lessons from our Italian friends.

Dai, mangiamo fuori!

xx Sommer