Being outdoors has been shown to lower stress, blood pressure and heart rate, while increasing mood and improving mental health. And whether you’re walking, running or digging up garden weeds, being outside is increasingly being prescribed by health professionals to improve people’s well-being.
If you’ve ever felt better after going for a walk, you’ll know that spending time outside – especially in green spaces – is one of the fastest ways to boost your health and happiness.
“Spending time outdoors is a full sensory experience, which anchors us in the present moment and helps us to feel connected, grounded and a part of something much bigger than ourselves,” says Lee Chambers, an environmental psychologist and well-being consultant.
“We get the benefits of sunlight, honoring our circadian rhythm and stimulating serotonin secretion. Being outdoors, we are likely to be moving, which has the ability to elevate our mood,” he says. “We are also likely to be interacting with a natural environment and not bombarded with stimulation, which can lower our cortisol levels and give us pleasant biophilic patterns and colors to focus on.”
Why is being outdoors so good for us?
Physical exercise is known to release brain chemicals such as endorphins, which help to relieve discomfort and boost our mood. However, research shows that simply being in a green space and reconnecting with nature can do wonders for our health.
In 2022, a study found that a one-hour walk in nature reduces stress more than walking for an hour in a city1. A 2018 study by King’s College London found that exposure to trees, the sky and birdsong is beneficial to our psychological health. And it doesn’t take long to reap the benefits of the great outdoors either. In 2020, researchers at Cornell University found that as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting can help us feel happier and lessen the effects of both physical and mental stress.
In fact, being outdoors is so good for us that the ancient Japanese tradition of ‘forest bathing’ has become increasingly popular in the West in recent years. Known in Japan as ‘shinrin’ you, this simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you and breathing deeply can help us to de-stress in a natural way.
There is also growing evidence that gardening is particularly therapeutic as it combines physical activity with exposure to sunlight and nature4.
Green Gym
During the pandemic, many people have turned to ‘Green Gyms’ to pass the time and switch off. Green Gyms are free outdoor sessions run by the UK organization The Conservation Volunteers, where people are guided in practical conservation activities like planting trees, sowing meadows and establishing wildlife ponds.
And as advocates will attest, taking part in these activities has been a lifeline for many during these anxious times. Not only does it curb social isolation, Green Gym activities give volunteers a sense of achievement and purpose – while allowing them to give back to their communities.
A moment of calm
“Anecdotally, most of us would say being outside just makes us feel calmer, and we know that reduced stress has a significant impact on well-being,” says Sally Brown, a BACP-registered therapist. “Other theories point to the release of specific phytoncides by trees – airborne chemicals that plants emit – which when breathed in have a similar effect to aromatherapy on the body, boosting the immune system.
“There might also be a mindfulness effect – perhaps we’re more likely to pay attention to our surroundings when we are somewhere green and pleasant which takes our focus away from our thinking and worries for a while.”
Even the act of moving indoors to outdoors – and experiencing fresh air – can be symbolic to us, says Alivia Rose, psychotherapist and spokesperson from the UK Council for Psychotherapy. Essentially, she explains, being outside allows us to step away from our worries and concerns when we see the wider world.
“It helps us move out of our inner emotional and over-thinking mental life, connecting us more with our bodies,” she says. “It helps us change our perspective and sense of well-being, in the realization that there is a bigger world out here – bigger than our inner more difficult world. It helps shift our introspection.”
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