Time in Nature

Feeling sun on your face. Strolling through a park. Listening to wind or birds in trees. Time in nature is calming, enjoyable, and benefits our mental wellness. For both young people and adults, just two hours a week spent in nature — either all in one session or broken up in small segments — can help improve mood, lower stress, and increase a sense of meaning and purpose. It can also enhance sleep and help combat or reduce the risk of mental health conditions like Opens in a new tabdepression and Opens in a new tabanxiety.

Time in nature might mean kicking a soccer ball in a park or taking a family walk or hike. But it also can also be simple and doesn’t have to involve exercise. Even if you live in an urban area, there are still ways for you and your children to reap benefits from nature, together or alone.

Five easy ways to enjoy nature

• Walk or bike to a local park or garden.
• Spend time outdoors with a pet, friend, or by yourself.
• Go somewhere you can see water, like a local river or pond.
• Sit near a tree and pay attention to what you each see, hear, smell, taste, and feel (similar to the technique used in Opens in a new tabforest therapy).
• If it’s possible to do any work or schoolwork outside, try experimenting with this.

You can even benefit from nature without going outside. Research shows that simply viewing nature — looking out a window or even watching a video — or listening to sounds like waves or birds can be helpful.