The level of stress hormones in your body is lowered substantially by just 20 minutes of contact with nature, a recent study discovered. Although people knew for a long time that nature heals, how much time do you need to spend the get such an effect wasn’t quite clear.
20 minutes of nature reduces stress levels
Imagine coming to a doctor complaining of health problems and getting a prescription to spend 30 minutes per day outdoors, eat your vegetables and exercise.
This may happen sooner than you think, with health researchers constantly checking results of such prescriptions in test groups and returning overwhelmingly positive results.
In fact, exercise has been dubbed “the billion-dollar secret to a longer life“. It is the most effective “pill” available to humans who wish to remain healthy and live longer.
The recent study into the effect of non-medical interventions demonstrated that as little as 20 minutes spent wandering in the woods or a place that makes you feel close to nature is enough to substantially lower the levels of stress hormones in a human body.
Doctors should start prescribing this “nature pill” to their overstressed patients! Its effectiveness is measurable, researchers confirm.
“Our study shows that for the greatest payoff, in terms of efficiently lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, you should spend 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides you with a sense of nature”, the lead author of the study MaryCarol Hunter pointed out. Hunter is an associate professor at the University of Michigan.
The best things in life are free, and spending time in a beautiful natural environment with a naturally gorgeous woman could be even a better proposition than just a walk in a park. After all, it’s also been scientifically proven that happy people live longer.
How much nature is enough?
A walk in a park is a great healthcare option for people who are glued to screens for the most time of the day. But how much nature is enough?
In the experiment, participants were required to take the “nature pill” by way of spending time outdoors at least 3 times a week. People were instructed to leave out social media, phone or Internet for the duration of the time in nature. They also were not supposed to do any aerobic exercise, to ensure clarity of the results, and do it only during the day light.
The researchers allowed people to self-regulate the time they were spending in the natural environments. The experiment lasted 8 weeks.
The results were impressive.
Even 20 minutes outdoors in a place where participants felt connected to nature was enough to see a significant drop in cortisol levels. The greatest drop was in the group where people were doing it for 20-30 minutes per day.
Additional time outdoors provided further de-stressing benefits, but at a much slower rate.
So, if you can do it, go for a 45-minute stroll or even hang outdoors for hours, it won’t hurt. But if finding time is hard, 20-30 minutes of daily dose of vitamin “N” will do you a lot of good.
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Nowadays people are so far from nature, but just think about the greatness of forests and mountains! We pollute our air and earth, but we’re all just the guests in this planet, and we should be grateful for everything Mother Earth has given us. Nature actually heals, and i believe that plant-based diet is what the most of us really need to become more healthy and sophisticated about our lives. I recommend you to try exercising outside. Try doing yoga in the park with your best friend, or just 30 minutes of morning run, this will be awesome for your… Read more »
I agree. Always been part of my life. Night also provides distinct & broadening experiences than day. Behold the universe!
yes, I really love nature, walk in the woods or sit on the fishing, it is very calming, but many people love an active lifestyle and they can not stand in place.
What a good thing that I live near the forest! 20 minutes? Oh, it’s not a big deal. If it’s really enough, then I’m going to join this experiment with my health. Everyday stress is a real huge problem that can irrevocably kill our life, even if we don’t notice it now.
That’s impressive. No kidding. Staying close to nature always sounds to me like “go to the countryside” or “take a daylong walking trip”. I don’t have enough time for it. Guess like most of us. But 20 minutes per day, huh? I’m in.
And by the way, I was sure that only meds could work out on cortisol level. Thanks for new information!
I agree that nature is a perfect healer and “a nature pill” is the best medicine that was invented by the God. 20 minutes outside helps to forget about all your problems, various difficulties and run away from the urban noise. I like nature and its healing effect. Every day I try to walk as much as I can. I find harmony in nature. It allows me to cure not only my body but also my soul. That’s why spring and summer are my favorite seasons. The weather is almost always fine and I can enjoy the trees, flowers and… Read more »
it’s true when you spend time in nature without a phone, stress is relieved, you feel comfort and relaxation. as if everything is updated inside and you are gaining strength for something big and new. This is very useful information, I think the result will be much more if I also start 2-3 times a week to find time to sit in nature