{"id":12967,"date":"2026-05-14T17:10:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=12967"},"modified":"2026-05-14T17:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:10:28","slug":"why-stepping-outside-is-essential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=12967","title":{"rendered":"Why Stepping Outside Is Essential"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Shawn Gorman, the great-grandson of Leon Leonwood (\u201cL.L.\u201d) Bean and chairman of his family\u2019s company, shares the benefits of going \u201coff-the-grid\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\"> (Photo: L.L. Bean)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published May 14, 2026 10:44AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As a kid growing up in the 1970s, I didn\u2019t think much about spending time outside. It was simply what you did\u2014after school with friends, in the backyard with siblings, or piled into my dad\u2019s station wagon, small camper in tow, for a week of summer fun in the outdoors.<\/p>\n<p>Today, time outdoors is far less organic. It has to be planned, prioritized, and structured. It requires intention and protection\u2014shielded from the noise of our busy, tech-driven lives that revolve around smartphones, social media feeds, and work demands that never fully shut off.<\/p>\n<p>For millennials and Gen Xers (like me), the shift from a slower-paced world to one that\u2019s always on didn\u2019t happen overnight. It crept in, year by year\u2014which 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\u2019ve found that it doesn\u2019t take much to make a huge difference. Whether it\u2019s a three-day fishing trip in the wilderness or a two-hour hike close to home, I return refreshed and recharged.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2741131\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1280\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2741131\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BT_XLargeRetina-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/BT_XLargeRetina-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\">(Photo: L.L. Bean)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For my kids and their Gen Z and Gen Alpha peers, it\u2019s different. They don\u2019t know a world without devices or a time when content couldn\u2019t be instantly downloaded. Sadly, we\u2019re only just beginning to understand the effects and the downstream impacts.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not just younger people who are at risk.<\/p>\n<p>As a society, our overreliance on technology to inform and entertain us means we\u2019re indoors more and moving less. It\u2019s taking a tremendous toll on our collective well-being, and our mental health is suffering.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2741132\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2196\" height=\"2560\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2741132\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260413_Gift_Shop_PromoThumb_XLargeRetina-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260413_Gift_Shop_PromoThumb_XLargeRetina-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\">(Photo: L.L. Bean)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fortunately, something may be starting to shift.<\/p>\n<p>Increasingly, people are leaving smartphones behind in favor of low-tech activities. Sometimes referred to as \u201canaloging\u201d or \u201cgoing off the grid,\u201d this intention has digital natives picking up hobbies like film photography, journaling, or old-fashioned puzzles\u2014rather than doomscrolling.<\/p>\n<p>That shift is worth celebrating. But I suggest we take it one step further and <i>get outside<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Since launching its Off the Grid initiative in 2022, L.L.Bean has invested $800,000 in a multiyear charitable partnership with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"sponsored\" data-afl-p=\"2\" href=\"https:\/\/mhanational.org\/\">Mental Health America (MHA)<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>In honor of Mental Health Month, L.L.Bean has once again gone off the grid for the entire month of May. We\u2019ve wiped our social channels clean and are leaving behind <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"sponsored\" data-afl-p=\"2\" href=\"https:\/\/mhanational.org\/l-l-bean\/\">resources, tips, and tools<\/a> developed alongside Mental Health America aimed at helping people engage with the outdoors in ways that support their mental well-being.<\/p>\n<div class=\"slideshow\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col items-center justify-center py-base-loose\">\n<div class=\"relative flex w-full flex-col items-start\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full touch-pan-y pb-base-tight select-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"block h-auto w-full object-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lander-480x480-square-01.jpg\" alt=\"limited-edition \u201coff the grid\u201d-inspired Boat &amp; Totes\" draggable=\"false\"\/><\/div>\n<p class=\"min-h-[48px]\"><span class=\"text-left font-utility-3 text-secondary\">Limited-edition \u201coff the grid\u201d-inspired Boat &amp; Totes<\/span><span class=\"ml-1 text-left font-utility-3 text-text-disabled\">L.L. Bean<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full justify-center gap-2 pt-base-loose\">\n<div class=\"flex cursor-pointer flex-col justify-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lander-480x480-square-01.jpg\" alt=\"limited-edition \u201coff the grid\u201d-inspired Boat &amp; Totes\" width=\"120\" height=\"80\" class=\"max-h-10 object-cover transition-all duration-200 hover:opacity-80 border-4 border-brand-primary\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex cursor-pointer flex-col justify-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Lander-480x480-square-39.jpg\" alt=\"limited-edition \u201coff the grid\u201d-inspired Boat &amp; Totes\" width=\"120\" height=\"80\" class=\"max-h-10 object-cover transition-all duration-200 hover:opacity-80 opacity-60\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>To make it even easier to get outside, we\u2019re offering two <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"sponsored\" data-afl-p=\"2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.llbean.com\/llb\/shop\/20010830?nav=F8t20010830-hp\">limited-edition \u201coff the grid\u201d-inspired Boat &amp; Totes<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>Since 1912, my family\u2019s company has existed to help people to experience the restorative power of being outside. In fact, I think my great-grandfather L.L.\u2019s quote says it best: \u201cHunting 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Behind the Design: The Original Maine-Made Boat and Tote\u00ae\" width=\"729\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C0zF3GbP9gM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m certainly not suggesting technology is mean or petty\u2014it definitely has its place\u2014but it shouldn\u2019t dominate our lives either. So, if you\u2019re ready to unplug and prioritize real connection, I invite you to put down the tech and join us outside. There\u2019s a great big analog world out there, and Mental Health Month is a great time to rediscover it.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><i>Shawn Gorman is the great-grandson of Leon Leonwood (\u201cL.L.\u201d) Bean and has served as chairman of his family\u2019s 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.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/culture\/active-families\/why-stepping-outside-is-essential\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shawn Gorman, the great-grandson of Leon Leonwood (\u201cL.L.\u201d) Bean and chairman of his family\u2019s company, shares the benefits of going \u201coff-the-grid\u201d (Photo: L.L. Bean) Published May 14, 2026 10:44AM As a kid growing up in the 1970s, I didn\u2019t think much about spending time outside. It was simply what you did\u2014after school with friends, in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12967","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wild-living"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}