Many people know this feeling: after a walk in the forest or the park, thoughts fall into place and the shoulders relax. Science is now beginning to measure this, although there are still many questions.
About two hours a weekA 2019 study of almost 20,000 people in England shows that people who spent at least 120 minutes in nature in the past week more often rated their health and wellbeing as good than those who spent no time outdoors. It does not matter whether the time is in one go or spread out. The benefit peaks at 200–300 minutes and does not increase after that.
This is an observation, not proof of cause and effect. Healthier people may simply go out more, and the authors themselves warn against taking the 120 minutes as a strict limit.
Twenty minutes and the stress hormoneIn a 2019 study, 36 city residents went out into nature at least three times a week for at least 10 minutes, and the researchers measured stress hormones in their saliva. Cortisol fell, with the best ratio between time and effect at 20–30 minutes. The effect keeps growing after that, but more slowly. The group is small, so the result should be taken with care.
A walk and repetitive thoughtsDo you know the feeling of turning the same thought over and over? Researchers from Stanford compared a 90-minute walk in a natural setting with a walk along a busy street. After the walk in nature, participants reported fewer such thoughts, and brain scans showed lower activity in an area linked to them. The study only looks at a short effect after one walk, but it offers a nice idea for the next hard day.
How to bring it into your life- The nearby park counts too. The cortisol study was carried out in nature within the city.
- Leave your phone in your pocket for at least part of the walk.
- Use your senses: what do you hear, what do you smell, what do you feel under your feet?
- Find your own place: a bench, a tree or a path you can come back to.
- Spend time with plants, if you cannot go out often: a balcony, a pot plant, an open window with a view of greenery.
When outdoors for a long time, watch out for the sun, ticks and the weather. And if you have difficulty moving, even sitting outside is a way of being in touch with nature.
Sometimes the best pause is to step outside. Nature can support calm, but it does not replace treatment for health problems.
The next time you are outsideFree: on the 9th you can choose a quiet place and join the global meditation
Rei-Unity, at a time that suits you.
If you would like to learn: the online course
Reiki Module 1 · €150 also includes a lesson on caring for plants with Reiki. The course comes with a certificate and 12 months of access.