To be healthy and thriving members of their communities, men need to spend more time socializing. And one of the best ways to socialize is in open, outdoor spaces. How do you create these spaces on your property and in your neighborhood, and what are the best ways to utilize them for meeting new people, strengthening relationships, and ultimately fostering better communities?
The Importance of Relationships and Community
Good relationships are essential for your health and wellbeing. Having closer, more intimate relationships with the people in your surroundings, and having a bigger network that you can tap into when you need extra support can dramatically improve both your physical and mental health. You’ll feel more connected, you’ll have people you can talk to when you’re feeling down, you’ll feel better about yourself by doing good for others, and you’ll have more opportunities in life overall.
Creating an outdoor space in your own property makes it much easier to build and maintain relationships with other people in your community, and since they’ll also be building relationships with you and with each other, you can help your entire community grow this way.
The Importance of the Outdoors
Why the outdoors? Spending time outside is uniquely valuable for several reasons:
- Vitamin D. Getting exposed to sunlight, assuming you have proper UV protection, helps your body produce vitamin D, which is essential for many bodily functions and is linked to better mood.
- Fresh air. Breathing fresh air is good for your lungs and cardiovascular health – and it just feels better, subjectively, for most people.
- Perspective. Being trapped inside all day, staring at screens, can lead to a warped perception of reality. Simply stepping outside and letting your eyes relax can instantly give you a different perspective.
- Exercise. This is also a great opportunity to exercise. Even if you’re spending most of your time relaxing, being outside encourages more physical movement.
How To Make the Ultimate Social Outdoor Space
So how do you build the ultimate outdoor space for socializing?
- Build an outdoor kitchen. Assuming it’s in your budget, consider building a full outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor kitchen can include things like a stove, an oven, a refrigerator, a sink, and a countertop where people can enjoy drinks and talk to each other. If you don’t have the budget or space for this, you can at least get an outdoor grill.
- Create more roamable space. When outside, people often like to meander. That’s why it’s a good idea to create more roamable space; in other words, give people more opportunities to wander around. A back patio or a stone path could be exactly what you need.
- Plant a garden. Consider planting a garden in your yard. Not only is it going to look aesthetically pleasing, it could also provide you with fresh herbs and vegetables for your gatherings – and serve as an excellent conversation starter.
- Add privacy trees and bushes. Plant some trees and bushes around your property to offer shade and privacy. These additions can beautify your property, while simultaneously making everyone feel cozier and more at home.
- Create shade. If you don’t have enough trees, make sure you have some sort of shade and shelter from the elements. A canopy or umbrella could serve this function perfectly.
- Invest in furniture. High-quality outdoor furniture will make your guests much more comfortable, and help solidify your outdoor space as the place to be in the neighborhood.
- Improve the lighting. Are you going to be hosting people after the sun sets? Consider improving the lighting with embedded solar lights and dangling twinkle lights.
- Provide sound options. Good background music is indispensable for setting the mood in a gathering, so consider upgrading your speakers.
- Stock the basic necessities. Foods, drinks, bug repellents, and other supplies are going to be crucial if you’re hosting a social gathering. Keep these supplies (and others) on hand so you’re ready to throw a party at a moment’s notice.
Building Your Community
Once you have a space in place, you’ll be in a position to start building your community. Start by reaching out to your neighbors and people you already know, at least in passing. Consider hosting cookouts, general parties, or themed gatherings where people can get to know each other and have a good time. If you’re a generous host, and you make a conscious effort to build stronger bonds with the people who attend, you’ll likely have a long list of attendees who are interested in coming back.
Building a social outdoor space isn’t easy or inexpensive, and building a community takes a lot of work. But both are worth the investment to help you thrive.
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This content is made possible by Larry Alton.
Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash