3-minute read

With the amazing weather we’ve had over the summer, I've been tapping into one of the most powerful ways we have to boost our positive emotions and support wider wellbeing. Have you?

By this, I mean spending more time in the great outdoors.

We all know that being in nature feels good whether it's in a field, a forest, on a beach or a mountain or simply in the garden.  

But do you know just how beneficial it is for your health and wellbeing?

Read on to discover something you didn't already know about this accessible wellbeing booster.

Top 10 evidence-based wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature:

1. VITALITY: Just 20 minutes in vegetation-rich nature improves vitality and emotional strength in the face of adversity.
2. IMMUNITY: Time in natural settings boosts immunity, but how? Findings show that plants emit phytoncides, an airborne chemical that protects them from rotting and that this also benefits humans’ immunity.
3. CALM VS. STRESS & NEGATIVITY: being in nature is found to produce brain waves like those experienced while meditating meaning one huge benefit is that it induces feelings of calm. Studies also report lower stress and negativity. Reduced anxiety and even depressive symptoms are also reported (particularly in studies focused on time spent in forests). 
   
4. SLEEP: Exposure to natural light, particularly in the morning improves sleep quality… when you factor in other benefits such as increased feelings of calm and reduced stress, it is easy to see how time in nature supports better sleep.
5. PERFORMANCE, MEMORY, AND ATTENTION: All three were shown to improve by 20% on average after just a short walk amongst trees.
6. MEANING AND CONNECTION: Time in nature is one of the key ways through which we can experience a sense of ‘connection to something greater than the self,’ which is what we need to experience a sense of meaning.
7. AWE AIDED PERSPECTIVE: Awe is a form of elevation, normally experienced in response to grand and beautiful natural settings. But it doesn’t just feel good; it can shift our perspective and reduce the size of perceived stressors. Not only that…
8. TIME SATISFACTION: Time In the great outdoors (particularly when experiencing awe) is found to reduce time anxiety and increase satisfaction with time (a pet subject of mine). Remember this if you think you don’t have time to get outdoors.
9. INSPIRATION & CREATIVITY: Time in nature makes us more curious and by also increasing our perspective-taking and flexible-thinking abilities, it helps boost creativity. Add in feelings of elevation and it’s hard not to be inspired by time outdoors.
10. COMMITMENT TO EXERCISE: Studies show that if you exercise outdoors, you are more likely to be motivated to repeat the activity so opt for 'green exercise' to stay on-track.