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Aug 5, 2022 · A study from the University of Tokyo reveals 227 pathways that link nature and human well-being, from recreation and leisure to spirituality and social cohesion. Learn about the positive and negative effects of nature on mental and physical health, and how to stimulate different mechanisms of connection.
- Chantelle Pattemore
Apr 1, 2020 · How does spending time in nature improve our mental health and cognition? This article reviews the latest research on the effects of nature exposure on attention, stress, mood, empathy and more.
- Emily Swaim
- Better breathing. Air pollution can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory diseases, which you may already know. It might surprise you to learn, though, that indoor concentrations of air pollutants are often two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations.
- Improved sleep. Typically, your body’s internal clock follows the sun, making you feel awake during the daytime and sleepy at night. Although artificial illumination can mimic natural light, direct sunlight has 200 times the intensity of office lights in a closed room.
- Reduced depression symptoms. Sunlight can often help ease depression symptoms like low mood and fatigue. Light therapy can help treat both major depression and seasonal depression.
- More motivation to exercise. Working out in green spaces could help boost your motivation to exercise in the future, in part because outdoor exercise can
Mar 4, 2024 · A 2021 study, for example, found that the 20- to 90-minute sessions in nature were most beneficial for mental health, with gardening, nature-based therapy and exercise in green spaces being the most effective for adults.
Mar 26, 2024 · Research shows that being in nature can make us perceive time as slower, more relaxed and more abundant. Learn how nature affects our emotions, memory and attention, and how to access nature or control your time better.
Exposure to green space has been linked to better sleep, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved mental health, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Heather Eliassen. She suggests ways to incorporate green spaces into daily life, even in urban environments.
Mar 21, 2024 · Spending time in nature can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and boost feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Whatever you call it – forest bathing, ecotherapy, mindfulness in nature, green time or the wilderness cure -- humans evolved in the great outdoors, and your brain benefits from a journey back to nature.
