Indoor Living Linked to Burnout, Brain Fog, and Other Health Issues, Doctor Says
A physician highlights four 'hidden health risks' associated with spending nearly all of our time indoors.
Nearly half of Americans spend less than two hours outdoors in an entire week, according to a national survey by the Nature & Health Alliance. Dr. John La Puma, a physician and author of "Indoor Epidemic," asserts that this lack of outdoor exposure contributes to a range of health problems, which he terms the "four Bs": bad sleep, burnout, brain fog, and belly fat.
La Puma explains that humans spend approximately 93% of their lives indoors, leading to what he calls a "hidden health tax." He advocates for a simple "7% outdoor prescription" to counteract these effects.
The Four Bs
Bad Sleep
Outdoor light, which can be significantly brighter than indoor lighting, plays a crucial role in regulating the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Without adequate exposure to natural light, especially soon after waking, the body's sleep-wake cycle can become desynchronized. La Puma recommends spending about 10 minutes outdoors within the first hour of waking, without sunglasses, to help set this rhythm and promote better sleep later in the evening.
Burnout
Excessive time spent indoors, particularly with constant engagement with screens, can lead to "ultraprocessed time." La Puma likens this to ultraprocessed food, describing it as synthetic, artificial, and lacking nutritional value for the mind. This digital immersion, combined with a lack of distant horizons (as indoor spaces limit vision to about 20 feet), can contribute to burnout. He suggests looking out a window for a minute each hour to relax the eyes and reduce fatigue. Simply stepping outside during the workday can also help.
Brain Fog
Poorly ventilated indoor environments can lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide, with levels sometimes exceeding 1,000 parts per million. Research has linked elevated CO₂ levels to reduced cognitive performance, resulting in mental fogginess, especially in the afternoons. La Puma notes that this is a biological reason for feeling mentally sluggish, not merely a matter of poor decision-making. He advises cross-ventilation when possible, and getting outdoors allows eyes to focus at greater distances and provides a break from stale indoor air. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that indoor pollutant concentrations can be two to five times higher than outdoors.
Belly Fat
When the body clock is out of sync due to insufficient outdoor exposure, it can disrupt the natural rhythm of cortisol, the stress hormone. Altered cortisol activity has been linked to increased abdominal and visceral fat. La Puma states that exposure to daylight at the appropriate times, particularly in the morning, can help regulate cortisol levels, promoting wakefulness in the morning and a proper drop later in the day, which aids in metabolism.
The 17-Minute Solution
La Puma distinguishes between "incidental time" spent outdoors (like walking from a car to an office) and "biologically active time." To address the "four Bs," he proposes a minimum effective dose of 17 minutes of intentional time outdoors each day, preferably in a blue or green space. This intentional time, such as looking at the sky in the morning, can help reset the body clock. For those in urban environments, looking at distant rooftops or through an open window can offer a similar benefit, focusing the eyes beyond confined indoor spaces.
"You can turn those minutes into medicine," La Puma said.