The Science Behind Nature and Happiness

Do you find that you tend to be in a better mood when the sun is shining, when you are walking through a park, or when you are by a creek and hear birds chirping away in the background? There is a reason for this.

A new study found that exposure to nature is linked with not only higher momentary happiness, but also prolonged happiness afterwards, which shows lasting benefits of being with nature.

The implications of this are great for us, as I already find that taking a walk generally helps calm me down if I am stressed or anxious. The researchers behind the study are not saying that we now have to go live deep in a forest, but that we may feel benefits from living in urban or city areas that include elements of nature.

Some things you can do if you don’t have immediate access to a park or river:

• Go cloud watching.
• Open a window in your house.
• Take a short walk around the block.

Read a summary of the study here, or take a look at the full academic paper here!

Do you find your mood is better when you’re outside? Do you find it hard to sometimes motivate yourself to get out? What do you do in the colder months when it is harder to get outdoors? We’d love to hear from you in the Comments section!