As we approach another finals week, we must remember to care for our psychological well-being. Despite the cold temperatures, research tells us that the benefits of getting outside for our mental health remain the same.
A recent European Centre for Environment & Human Health study found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces (or any natural environment) were significantly more likely to report good psychological well-being than those who did not.
Head researcher Mathew White found that time spent outside did not have to be consecutive to prove beneficial for subjects’ mental health. Also worth noting, this phenomenon spanned different ethnicities, occupations, and socioeconomic groups.
If you’re feeling the stress of the exam period or holiday rush, consider getting outside in nature, if only for a few minutes at a time. Take a walk in a local park, bird watch in your backyard, or go for a hike with a friend and enjoy the calming effects of nature.
This article references Yale’s School of the Environment piece on ecopsychology.
Image by Luisa Rivera for Yale Environment 360.
