Kathy Hamilton Picture this: the gentle breeze is enveloping you, somewhere you can hear birds chirping and all around you trees rustle their leaves. You’re sitting in a park surrounded by nature. Is this the secret to feeling happier? According to new research, it just might be.
“It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.”
–Robert Louis Stephenson
As we rush from car to office from bus to indoor shopping areas, how many of us routinely take time to just exist in nature? I don’t mean picking up the hiking boots and setting off up the mountain a la Nan Shepherd. I mean just twenty minutes surrounded by the living environment each day?
I’m guessing not many of us? It’s certainly not something that I’ve prioritised recently. City Living has a way or surrounding you by concrete and making you forget the world isn’t all tall buildings and traffic-laden roads. However, new research consistently suggests that the secret to feeling happier is being in nature. So much so, that doctors in Shetland have even started prescribing nature to patients suffering from anxiety and depression.
“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Being in nature is a common theme in literature too. Jane Eyre famously starts with inclement weather preventing a young Jane from finding solace on a walk. Poetry too abounds with the idea that being outside has a restorative effect on us. Keats, Wordsworth and Byron knew the secret to feeling happier was a strong relationship with the natural world. But being outside isn’t just for The Romantics, it’s something we should all incorporate into our lives.
But it’s all good to talk about it. How can we actually build the habit of spending time outdoors? Below I’ve shared three ways to incorporate time outside without too much effort.
Get Outside on Your Lunchbreak
The secret to feeling happier could be using your lunch break to indulge in a stroll around your local park. Spending just 20 minutes in a park can have long term benefits according to a study published by the International Journal of Environmental Health Research. Respondents reported feeling less stressed or anxious after dedicated time outdoors.
Interestingly, it can also have beneficial effects on your creativity too. Many writers and poets are known to have used walking as a way to dream up new ideas. Dicken’s was famous for it. The key is to try and find leafy environments with lots of green and blue light. So pack a comfortable pair of shoes and take a stroll on your lunch break, your mental and physical wellbeing will thank you.
It’s Not Necessarily About Exercise
Now, here’s the most important thing, research was inconclusive about whether exercising outside or simply being outside was more effective for wellbeing. This study aimed to map the factors associated with wellbeing after time spent in urban parks. Crucially, it noticed that the person in question didn’t need to exercise in the park to feel these positive effects: just spending time around nature was enough.
So, you don’t need to power walk your way through your lunch break. If it’s sunny, why not take your lunch and sit in the park. You could even use it as an excuse to read a couple of chapters in your book. That way you can get double benefits!
Change Your Route to Work
I know that getting out of the office at lunch isn’t’ always an option for some people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a small tweak to your daily routine to unlock the secret to feeling happier. A study at Kings College London discovered a link between being outdoors, seeing the sky and hearing birdsong resulted in improved mental wellbeing, with the beneficial effects still felt several hours later.
So take a look at your commute. Are there any places in it where you could incorporate a walk through some leafy environments? For example, could you get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way? Is there a cycle route you could use? I was surprised to find that I could easily spend my entire commute to work amongst green spaces with just a few tweaks. Alternatively, commit to taking a walk after dinner. I’m lucky to live seconds away from a beautiful park and I know that when I take the time to stroll around it on an evening I always feel better.
“In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”
–Ralph Waldo Emmerson
Some resources:
- Shetland NHS produced this lovely, seasonal guide, which offers ideas to help get you out and about.
- Mind UK has produced this guide to “Ecotherapy” and everyday tips to incorporate being outside into your routine.
“We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.”
–William Hazlett
