Being outside is one of the simplest, most accessible ways to care for mental health, and even short, regular doses of nature can make a meaningful difference in how calm, hopeful, and connected people feel. Research shows that consistent time in green spaces is linked with lower stress, better mood, and reduced risk of developing mental health challenges over time.
How nature supports mood
Spending time outdoors is strongly associated with increased positive emotions like joy, optimism, and vitality, and with decreases in sadness and anxious feelings. In several reviews of nature-based interventions, nearly all studies reported improved mental health outcomes after people spent time in natural environments.
One study of college-aged adults found that as little as 10–20 minutes of sitting or walking in nature significantly improved mood and reduced stress compared with the same amount of time in built-up, urban settings. Even a single 75‑minute walk in a wooded area has been shown to decrease rumination, a pattern of repetitive negative thinking closely tied to depression.
Calming the stress response
Being outdoors helps regulate the body’s stress systems, including heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones. People who walk in natural spaces rather than along busy streets show lower physiological arousal and report feeling more relaxed, less rushed, and more emotionally balanced afterward.
Larger population studies suggest that people who spend at least 120 minutes per week in nature report better overall health and well‑being than those who do not, regardless of how those minutes are divided across the week. For city dwellers, even 15 minutes in an urban park or tree‑lined area can decrease tension and mental fatigue, offering a reset from constant digital and environmental stimulation.
Benefits across the lifespan
Time outside appears to support mental health for children, teens, and adults, though the specific benefits can look a bit different at each stage of life. A 2024 study using GPS tracking found that children who spent about 60 minutes per day in natural environments had a substantially lower risk of mental health difficulties, especially those from lower‑income households.
For adults, nature-based activities such as gardening, walking, or gentle movement outdoors have been associated with improved mood, reduced stress, and a greater sense of purpose and energy, even among people already living with mental illness. Young adults, who often experience high academic, work, or social pressures, may feel particularly strong gains in reduced anxiety and depression when they build regular nature time into their routines.
Attention, creativity, and presence
Natural environments give the brain a break from constant decision-making and screen-based focus, allowing attention systems to rest and reset. People who spend time in green spaces often report clearer thinking, better concentration, and a greater sense of mental spaciousness afterward.
Brain-imaging research suggests that visually rich, peaceful landscapes are linked with patterns of brain activity associated with mindfulness and relaxed, wakeful awareness. These states can make it easier to access creativity, problem-solving, and self-reflection—capacities that are central to many forms of emotional healing and personal growth.
Connection, meaning, and self-compassion
Nature also supports mental health through experiences of connection—both with other people and with something larger than oneself. Parks, trails, and outdoor gathering spaces often create neutral, low-pressure environments where conversations can feel easier and relationships can deepen.
Studies show that people who feel more connected to nature tend to experience lower stress, anxiety, and depression when they regularly visit green spaces. Moments of awe—a striking sunset, the quiet of a snowy morning, the rhythm of water—are linked to greater feelings of meaning, humility, and compassion toward self and others. For many, these experiences complement therapy by reinforcing the sense that change is possible and that life holds beauty even in difficult seasons.
Making outdoor time part of care
For most people, the goal is not to escape daily life but to weave restorative time outdoors into an existing rhythm in sustainable ways. Research suggests a helpful target is about 120 minutes per week—this might look like 20 minutes a day on weekdays, plus a longer walk or park visit on the weekend.
That time does not need to be intense or athletic to be beneficial. Sitting on a park bench, walking slowly through a neighborhood with trees, tending a small garden, or pausing between errands to notice the sky can all support mental health. For people working on anxiety, depression, trauma, or burnout in therapy, intentional nature time can become one of several grounded, body-based practices that gently support nervous system regulation and emotional healing.
