Why Spending 20 Minutes in Nature Can Heal Your Body

By simply immersing yourself in nature for 20 minutes a day you can stimulate deep healing, reduce stress, improve physical health and elevate happiness. Scientific research highlights clear and strong evidence that “nature breaks” are a simple way to increase mental and physical wellness.

Rapid Stress Relief

According to studies, a 20-minute exposure to natural environments, parks and gardens or green spaces reduces cortisol concentrations (the main stress hormone). Stress recovery occurs during the short exposure time, reaches a peak and then declines; stress release did not differ based on location, time-of-day or the subject’s levels of discomfort prior to the intervention. Simply sitting or walking quietly in nature is an excellent way to relax and recalibrate your mind.

Immune & Heart health enhancement

Frequency of exposure to nature enhances overall wellness and boosts our immunity from natural sunlight (vitamin D) and from phytoncides emitted by plants which spur infection-fighting white blood cells. Also, a benefit of 20 minutes outside gives you a beneficial change in resting heart rate, blood pressure, and circulation and cardiovascular health benefits overall.

Increased Mental and Physical Wellbeing

Time spent in nature enhances the mood, reduces anxiety and depression, boosts creativity and attention restoration following fatigue, and offers protection against depression. Even just little bits of nature restoration aids in restoring attention and memory. Getting away from our turbelent lives and supporting nature is healthy when it comes to daily resilience and revitalizing our brains.

Sleep, Activity, and Emotional Recovery 

Spending time in nature is also helpful particularly in the mornings since throwing off natural circadian rhythms which is related to sleep can be had at a minimum with time in nature. Natural spaces encourage movement which is good for overall fitness levels. Overall emotional health is also improved, for nature activates the brains relaxation and pleasure centres. 

Getting some nature time can be as little as a brief 20-minute break each day, and from its simplicity and power as a recovery technique, a great step towards healing and whole-body wellness.

This content is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance on managing health or stress through nature exposure.