Health and wellbeing

How connecting with nature benefits our mental health

A study of 20,000 people, by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter in 2019, found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces such as local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t.

Which nature ideas could I try?

Take a walk in a green space.

Eat meals outdoors. Have a picnic in a local park or sit in a garden if you have one.

Watch the stars. Use a stargazing website, app or book to help you recognise di erent stars, or simply enjoy looking at the night sky. Give your eyes time to adjust, as it can take about 20 minutes before you can fully see stars in the dark.

Exercise outside. Run or jog through a local park or do yoga outdoors. You could try it by yourself or look for classes in your local area.

Go on a litter picking walk in the park or on the beach.

Volunteer for a conservation project.

Find things you can see, hear, taste, smell or touch. For example, grass under your feet or the feeling of wind and sunlight.