Been feeling a little frazzled lately? Maybe a little down, or sluggish? Stressed?

It’s not surprising. Many of us sit in un-natural surroundings, in front of computers and under fluorescent lights at work. Our hunter-gather ancestors existed for thousands of years in outdoor environments. It’s hard-wired in our DNA to have an affiliation with nature. 

Researchers are now even saying it’s essential for your health to get outdoors. With so many scientific reasons why you should go outside and enjoy the natural world, it’s hard to ignore. 

1. Being outdoors reduces stress

This is a biggie. The buzzing of people, cars and flashing billboards are all part of the urban environment. Add our working environments to the mix, and you get the picture. Our brains, senses and nervous system are constantly stimulated, leading to increased stress and feeling frazzled.

But when you spend time in nature, stress levels decrease. One such study at Chiba University, showed spending just 15 minutes in a natural environment reduced the stress hormone cortisol by 16 per cent. They pointed out our senses are adapted to spend time in nature - not traffic and high-rise buildings.

2. Spending time in nature decreases anxiety, depression and boosts self esteem

Being in nature can even help you with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. And when you exercise outdoors – called green exercise - the benefits increase. 

One study found walking in the forest – or other natural area - decreased levels of anxiety. They even suggested outdoor walks could be useful alongside treatment for major depressive disorders. While other researchers noticed improved self-esteem in participants – regardless of the type of ecosystem.

Meanwhile Stanford University scanned the brains of 38 volunteers before and after they walked for 90 minutes. One group walked around the city while the other walked in a large park. The part of the brain associated with depressive thoughts changed in the nature walkers, showing decreased activity. The walkers also said they were less hard on themselves. 

This wasn’t the case for city walkers.

3. Being in natural environments reduces mental fatigue

When your brain is constantly bombarded with stimuli it gets tired. By slowing down and taking in beautiful natural surroundings, you feel restored.

David Strayer – a cognitive psychologist –reckons being in nature allows your brain’s command centre to relax. It’s akin to resting an over-used muscle. 

4. Exercising in nature increases mental performance and concentration skills

When you’re feeling sluggish and can’t concentrate, find a green spot and go for a walk. It’ll improve your mental performance – as was discovered by the University of Michigan.

They asked their students to do a brief memory test. Then they divided participants into two groups. One group took a walk around an arboretum, and the other took a walk down a city street. They repeated the test and found those who had walked among trees did 20 per cent better than before. 

The people who had taken in city sights didn’t improve.

5. Being in nature elicits feelings of awe

There are things in life that seem to more frequently elicit feelings of awe. What do I mean by this? Have you ever seen the most amazing view or a beautiful sunset, which stopped you in your tracks? You couldn’t help but be ‘wow’ed by what you saw? You felt wonder and awe. 

Stanford University concluded that awe expands people’s perception of time, and increases wellbeing. Nature is one area of life that consistently elicited feelings of awe in their research. It resulted in giving participants a mental boost.  Undoubtedly, it also made them feel more connection to this world we live in too. Which is no bad thing. 

So the next time you’re in need of a little lift, head to the outdoors and enjoy a bit of nature. You can also come and join us on one of our experiences too. We're sure you'll leave feeling refreshed and renewed.