Feeling down, disconnected or just a bit flat?

Well, how many hours did you spend enjoying the outdoors this week?

If the answer is less than 2, perhaps you’re in need of nature!

A study out of the UK has found that humans need to have a minimum of 2 hours exposed to the great outdoors to feel the effects of nature. The effects being better mental health, feelings of connection and general wellbeing.

But what of you don’t have the time to noodle around in national forests and surf when the waves are up? It turns out that your 2 hours can be spread across your week however you manage to get it. That means the walk to the bus stop, a quick turn around the park or playing with the kids outdoors after school can all add up to give you the dose you need.

And as you may have gleaned from those examples, you don’t need to make your nature hit an extreme one. Leave Amazonian exploration to the hard core nature lovers, and content yourself with low-key nature interactions that involve local brushes with the bush. 

Of course, finding a place to enjoy nature can be a challenge for those people who are in built-up areas where access to green space can be very limited. For those people time with nature is even more important, but the availability of pretty places makes it challenging. If that scenario describes your situation, then panning for natural encounters should be high on your list of priorities and you may want to look at how you can use the weekends to cram nature when you can.

Likewise people who struggle with mobility or health issues can benefit hugely from 2 hours in nature. Again, planning and support is required for these people to make the most of the great outdoors.