Many studies have shown exposure to nature can improve mental health and well-being. A new study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology suggest the best benefits come close to home, particularly during the COVID pandemic.
The findings, published in the journal People and Nature, suggest that enjoying nature close to home was associated with the greatest sense of well-being, compared to longer, more intense nature excursions, or nature experienced secondhand through various media.
“I think the thing that really calls to me from this work is the importance of just being able to have a bit of nature that’s close by and that you can access even for a short time,” said lead author Tina Phillips, assistant director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab.
The authors surveyed more than 3,200 U.S. residents in October 2020, six months into the pandemic, when many lockdowns were still in place. They asked people to rate their levels of loneliness, repetitive negative thoughts, mental well-being and how emotionally affected they were by the pandemic.
The answers were analyzed along with the frequency with which respondents participated in three types of nature engagement:
The authors said the research does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, only that both often occur together.
They also hypothesized, based on existing literature, that any type of nature exposure should be associated with higher levels of reported well-being, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.
“The biggest surprise was that [longer] nature excursions were not correlated with better well-being,” Phillips said. “Loneliness was worse for people who did more of those activities, the emotional impact of the pandemic was worse, and reported mental health was worse.”
Co-author Nancy Wells, a professor in the College of Human Ecology, said the survey also highlighted ongoing social justice issues around access to nature.
“The pandemic laid bare a host of societal inequities,” Wells said. “It is often those with the greatest need who have the least access to nearby nature. Everyone should be able to access the natural environment within a short distance from home. We can make this a reality by protecting natural lands, creating parks and implementing policies and programs to ensure access for all.”
Co-authors included doctoral student Abigail Brown and Jordan Tralins, who helped conduct the study funded by a grant from Cornell’s Atkinson Center for Sustainability.
Reaping mental and emotional benefits from nature doesn’t have to take a lot of time, the authors said.
“We can’t emphasize enough the power of spending even 10 minutes outside,” Phillips said. “There’s so much evidence that taking the time to be outside in whatever slice of nature is nearby can be so beneficial.”
Pat Leonard is a writer for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
