How to spend more time outside and in nature

A 2019 study found that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing

Credit: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on happiful

Richard Ryan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester, believes “Nature is fuel for the soul”. Professor Ryan studied 537 college students, who were split into separate experiments. In one group, the students were taken on a 15-minute walk either through indoor hallways or along a tree-lined riverside path, in another, they looked at photos of buildings or landscapes, and the final group was asked to imagine themselves in active and sedentary situations, both inside and outside, with others and without.

The students reported that their energy and vitality levels were lifted by being outside – or even by just imagining that they were. As a result, the researchers concluded that being in nature makes people feel more alive.

Add a quick two-step into your walk

Walking and dancing – two things that have been proven to improve our mood and wellbeing – try adding them both together!

Feel the ground beneath your feet

Feet have nearly twice as many nerve endings as penises (more than 7,000 in each foot). For this reason, feeling the ground beneath your bare feet invites intense and fascinating sensations. Soft soil and dewy grass, warm, cool, tickly, smooth – there is so much to experience. 

Find and create natural aromatherapy spots

Aromatherapy uses plant extracts and essential oils for well-being purposes. Certain scents can soothe anxiety while others boost your energy levels or clear your mind. You could buy aromatherapy oils or go and find these evocative scents out in nature. Look for big, bushy lavender plants, sprawling mint, and perfect roses. 

Get out in the rain

One thing that’ll often dampen your enthusiasm for getting outdoors is bad weather, but why should it? Firstly, when you go out for rainy walks you breathe cleaner air – a 2015 study found that rain droplets attract air pollution particles, cleaning up the air around you. And what about the ‘smell of rain’? Petrichor is the rich, sweet, fresh scent people often talk about picking up on. 

Make a meal of it

Picnics are as popular as ever!  A study from Warburtons, in celebration of national picnic week, traced how the contents of our picnic baskets have evolved over the past 10 decades, starting with traditional cuts of meat and chilled soufflé and moving on to hummus, quinoa, and even sushi. 

Packing your favourite food and heading off to a beautiful vantage point is all you need to reap the benefits of this outdoor pursuit – but if you want to take things up a notch, consider packing foods that are known to boost brain function, such as leafy greens, oily fish, nuts, and berries.

Take a friend along

There is a link between proximity to nature and lower crime rates and generally lower rates of general aggression. It isn’t just the presence of trees that has this effect, but the influence of an environment created for society.  When neighbours spend more time together out outdoors, talking and connecting, the community begins to flourish. 

A friendly wave or hello could lead to a regular walking partner in no time!