We know that spending time outdoors is good for our health and wellbeing. But outdoor experiences can also help us to live more fulfilling lives, can promote positive social behaviours and can encourage us to live in more environmentally friendly ways.
In this post Osbert Lancaster and David Key look at some of the ways outdoor experiences benefit us, society and the environment - and in the companion piece Get out more: Where? For how long? Doing what? we suggest what we can all do about it, personally and professionally.
We’ve probably all felt more relaxed and peaceful just from heading into a quiet park away from the bustle of a busy street, or walking along a beach watching the waves on the sand. But these everyday feelings of relaxation and tranquility are now backed by decades of research from across the world. Being outdoors is a seriously good way to relieve stress, restore our ability to concentrate and reduce anxiety.
Prof Jules Pretty and colleagues1Pretty, J., Rogerson, M., & Barton, J. (2017). Green mind theory: How brain-body-behaviour links into natural and social environments for healthy habits. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14070706 at the University of Essex have not only researched what they call ‘green exercise’ themselves, they have also reviewed the work of many other researchers. Their findings are clear: “physical activity in the presence of nature improves health and well-being”. Whatever your age, gender, ethnicity or social class, exercise outdoors is good for you - far beyond just exercise on its own.
It’s not only being active outdoors that helps. Just living in places with more green space is healthy. For example, a study in the Netherlands by Maas and others2Maas, J., Verheij, R. A., de Vries, S., Spreeuwenberg, P., Schellevis, F. G., & Groenewegen, P. P. (2009). Morbidity is related to a green living environment. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 63(12), 967–973. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2008.079038, found that conditions including heart disease, back problems, respiratory infections, migraines, cancer and diabetes, were all lower in areas with more green space. The same applied to depression and anxiety disorders.
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
John Burroughs
Many studies have shown that even relatively short periods in natural, rather than manmade, environments boost what scientists call ‘hedonic’ wellbeing - just feeling good. Spending more time outdoors, more often, helps us feel better and be more satisfied with life. Capaldi and colleagues3Capaldi, C., Passmore, H.-A., Nisbet, E., Zelenski, J., & Dopko, R. (2015). Flourishing in nature: A review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v5i4.449 write: “a plethora of research shows that connecting with nature is associated with improved emotional functioning and satisfaction with life.”
Of course, there’s more to life than being healthy and feeling good. We also look for meaning in our lives and seek a sense of autonomy. Nature is important here too. Capaldi summarises the work of many researchers, showing that outdoor experiences lead people to feel their lives are more meaningful. They also help them make better life-choices, experience greater personal growth, be more socially competent, and to feel more fully alive and energised.
“I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work.”
Frank Lloyd Wright
Being outdoors has long been recognised as a boost to creativity. Not just for artistic endeavours but also for coming up with useful ideas and innovations. A study in Denmark4Plambech, T., & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, C. C. (2015). The impact of nature on creativity - A study among Danish creative professionals. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.02.006 interviewed creative professionals and found that time in natural environments was important to their creativity.
Humans are social animals so it’s not surprising that being outdoors, in the place where we have evolved for most of our history, influences the way we interact with each other. Research has shown that exposure to nature leads people to be more kind and helpful to others. Likewise, the more connected we feel to nature, the more likely we are to be empathetic and to take other people’s perspectives5Capaldi, C., Passmore, H.-A., Nisbet, E., Zelenski, J., & Dopko, R. (2015). Flourishing in nature: A review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v5i4.449.
It’s long been argued that outdoor experiences lead people to develop more positive attitudes to the environment, making them more likely to behave in ways that are good for the environment. A recent review of four decades of research by Rosa & Collado6Rosa, C. D., & Collado, S. (2019). Experiences in nature and environmental attitudes and behaviors: Setting the ground for future research. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(APR), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00763 confirms that “experiences in nature during childhood and adulthood are positively linked to pro-environmentalism”.
The benefits of getting outdoors are clear - for our individual and collective health, and for the way we treat the environment. Read Get out more: Where? For how long? Doing what? to find out we can do about it, personally and professionally.