Spending Just Two Hours Per Week in Nature Can Improve Your Well-Being, a New Study Says
While technology certainly does its part in making life easier, existing in the modern world also means coping with unique sources of stress and anxiety. From feeling the constant need to stay connected to our devices for fear of missing out (or being missed) to the desire to keep track of every trending topic on social media, it becomes more and more challenging to prioritize one’s well-being. Fortunately, a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that spending a couple of hours per week in nature improves mental health.
Conducted by a team of British researchers, the study’s findings were based off interviews of 20,000 people in England who reported their activities from the previous week. The results suggest a direct correlation between time spent in nature and health and quality of life, which is similar to a previous study that found a link between green space and improved mental health for people living in urban areas.
As the Guardian reports:
“Of those who spent little or no time in nature, a quarter reported poor health and almost half said they were not satisfied with their life, a standard measure of wellbeing. In contrast, just one-seventh of those who spent at least two hours in nature said their health was poor, while a third were not satisfied with their life.”
According to study leader, Dr. Mathew White of the University of Exeter Medical School, the two-hour nature breaks appeared to have the same impact across various demographics, including age, economic status and people from rural and urban areas, as well as individuals with long-term illnesses and disabilities.
If the idea of jogging outside while wiping sweat and swatting bugs repels you, not to worry: the study also found that you don’t necessarily have to be physically active while becoming one with nature. Low-impact activities like simply sitting in a natural setting as opposed to an urban location can have the same, stress-reducing effect.