Why Stepping Outside Is Essential

As a kid growing up in the 1970s, I didn’t think much about spending time outside. It was simply what you did—after school with friends, in the backyard with siblings, or piled into my dad’s station wagon, small camper in tow, for a week of summer fun in the outdoors.

Today, time outdoors is far less organic. It has to be planned, prioritized, and structured. It requires intention and protection—shielded from the noise of our busy, tech-driven lives that revolve around smartphones, social media feeds, and work demands that never fully shut off.

For millennials and Gen Xers (like me), the shift from a slower-paced world to one that’s always on didn’t happen overnight. It crept in, year by year—which thankfully means we have plenty of memories of simpler times. Reflections that remind us to slow down, take a breath, and reconnect with nature when life gets overwhelming. Over the years, I’ve found that it doesn’t take much to make a huge difference. Whether it’s a three-day fishing trip in the wilderness or a two-hour hike close to home, I return refreshed and recharged.

For my kids and their Gen Z and Gen Alpha peers, it’s different. They don’t know a world without devices or a time when content couldn’t be instantly downloaded. Sadly, we’re only just beginning to understand the effects and the downstream impacts.

But it’s not just younger people who are at risk.

As a society, our overreliance on technology to inform and entertain us means we’re indoors more and moving less. It’s taking a tremendous toll on our collective well-being, and our mental health is suffering.

In a recent Gallup study, 25% of adults reported some type of mental health issue, and that number is even higher for younger adults (ages 29 and below). Further research shows overwhelmingly that Gen Z and millennials wish they could disconnect from technology more easily.

Fortunately, something may be starting to shift.

Increasingly, people are leaving smartphones behind in favor of low-tech activities. Sometimes referred to as “analoging” or “going off the grid,” this intention has digital natives picking up hobbies like film photography, journaling, or old-fashioned puzzles—rather than doomscrolling.

That shift is worth celebrating. But I suggest we take it one step further and get outside.

Data shows that even a few minutes outside each day can have a big impact. When we connect with the natural world, our body chemistry changes for the better. Our focus and mood improve, and we regain perspective.

Since launching its Off the Grid initiative in 2022, L.L.Bean has invested $800,000 in a multiyear charitable partnership with Mental Health America (MHA), including 18 mini-grants totaling $390,000 to support local affiliates nationwide. These investments help power innovative outdoor programs that strengthen mental health, foster community connectedness, and reinforce the vital link between well-being and time spent outside.

In honor of Mental Health Month, L.L.Bean has once again gone off the grid for the entire month of May. We’ve wiped our social channels clean and are leaving behind resources, tips, and tools developed alongside Mental Health America aimed at helping people engage with the outdoors in ways that support their mental well-being.

Limited-edition “off the grid”-inspired Boat & TotesL.L. Bean

To make it even easier to get outside, we’re offering two limited-edition “off the grid”-inspired Boat & Totes to help people carry their favorite low-tech items. Because no matter your age or whether you can remember a time before smartphones, we all need a digital disconnect. We hope these totes not only provide the function but also facilitate the intention to get outside.

Since 1912, my family’s company has existed to help people to experience the restorative power of being outside. In fact, I think my great-grandfather L.L.’s quote says it best: “Hunting and fishing is the big lure that takes us out into the great open spaces and helps us to forget the mean and petty things in life.”

I’m certainly not suggesting technology is mean or petty—it definitely has its place—but it shouldn’t dominate our lives either. So, if you’re ready to unplug and prioritize real connection, I invite you to put down the tech and join us outside. There’s a great big analog world out there, and Mental Health Month is a great time to rediscover it.

Shawn Gorman is the great-grandson of Leon Leonwood (“L.L.”) Bean and has served as chairman of his family’s company since 2013. Like L.L. before him, Shawn knows firsthand the countless health benefits of spending time with family and friends in the great outdoors.