Spending time in nature energizes people and elevates mood, according to a new study from the University of Rochester.
- Dr. Richard Ryan and his colleagues conducted five experiments with 537 college student.
- They took walks through indoor hallways or along a river path of the outdoors, and they looked at photographs of buildings or outdoor landscapes.
- The research team wanted to find out if just being in nature had an energizing effect on people, as opposed to being in social situations outdoors.
Dr. Ryan called the findings "particularly robust." Just being in nature 20 minutes a day boosted vitality levels and had an independent energizing effect above that of just being outdoors.
"We have a natural connection with living things," Dr. Ryan said. "Nature is something within which we flourish, so having it be part of our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built environments."
The study has implications for drug and alcohol treatment performed in wilderness areas. Being in nature may have a therapeutic effect on troubled teenagers and adults.
This study appeared in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Labels: wilderness_therapy
Posted By: Jane St. Clair