One of the best ways to enhance your self-care is to change your environment—namely, moving outside. Recent research suggests that spending just 20 minutes connecting with nature can help lower stress hormone levels. In the 2019 study, 36 people spent 10 minutes or longer, three days a week for eight weeks, in an outdoor place like a yard, public park, or even just a green area near their workplace. Levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, were measured before and after nature outings. Spending at least 20 to 30 minutes immersed in a natural setting was associated with a significant reduction in cortisol levels.
These results have been supported by a wide variety of other studies. For example, researchers at Cornell found that as few as 10 minutes outside can reduce stress levels. The American Heart Association also recommends 120 minutes a week (or 17 minutes per day) outside to improve both mental and physical health. Though the exact length differs between these three sources, it is clear that even a short amount of time in a natural environment can have lasting benefits on your well-being.
Other research also extends beyond just stress and anxiety; time spent outside can mitigate symptoms of depression and ADHD, and can increase one’s concept of self and resiliency. Children with attentional deficits have better concentration after taking a walk in a park than another environment; the prevalence of depression was lower in neighborhoods with vegetation cover and bird abundance; and natural schoolyards have been associated with fewer instances of behavioral problems.
The description “natural environment” has proven to be a loose one; experts agree that we should redefine what we consider “nature.” People can reap the benefits of lower stress just by being around grassy parks, trees, or even planters with flowers. This easy way to increase mindfulness and decrease anxiety can be accessible to many just by having an open mind.
In the spirit of emphasizing how beneficial nature can be to well-being, programs like Park Rx America frame time spent outside as a “prescription.” They have recommended dosages and locations, and even have established chapters on college campuses that train students to provide these personalized prescriptions to their peers based on individual accessibility of different local green spaces.
Overall, there are many different ways to engage with nature—or just natural elements in your environment—that can be easy ways to bolster your emotional and physical health. Experts agree that a key element of seeing positive effects is taking the full time outside to focus on nature, rather than being distracted by a book or music. Try taking 10 or 20 minutes a few times a week to walk around a green space, or even just sit. Don’t bring headphones, and leave your phone in your pocket on silent. Pay attention to the way the birds sound in the trees, and the way the sunlight comes in through the leaves. You might be surprised at how much more manageable the rest of your life starts to feel.
Comments