Living in cities can be exhausting and often leads to stress, but a new study has found that spending just one hour in nature can significantly improve mood and reduce stress. Researchers have observed differences in mental health between those living in rural and urban environments for decades. Studies indicate that time spent in a natural setting can be psychologically beneficial, decreasing stress and negative emotions, although the neurological foundations of these effects are not yet well understood.
Studies have shown that the amygdala, a part of the brain involved in processing stress, is less active during stressful situations in people living in rural areas compared to those in urban settings. Neuroscientist and lead author of the new study, Sonia Sudimac, stated in a release that it is unclear whether nature is the actual cause of this or if other factors are at play.
The researchers devised a unique experiment to determine whether spending time in nature directly reduces our stress responses and how this occurs. They recruited approximately 60 volunteers and asked them to undergo an MRI scan while monitoring amygdala activity across various tests to measure their stress levels.
After establishing baseline measurements, each participant was randomly assigned to walk for 60 minutes either in the city or in the forest. The urban route was on a busy street in Berlin, while the natural route was in a nearby forest. Upon completing the walk, participants returned to the lab for repeat MRI tests. Those who walked in the forest noted a decrease in their stress levels, while those who walked in the urban environment reported no change in amygdala activity.
Researchers stated that these results suggest urban exposure does not necessarily lead to increased stress responses but that time spent in nature can reduce this neural activity. They also imply that it is not merely the act of walking that produces improvement, but the time spent in nature itself. The researchers wrote in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, "We have shown that amygdala activation decreased during a stress task after exposure to nature, while it remained stable after urban exposure. This strongly argues for the salubrious effects of nature rather than urban exposure causing additional stress."
The study reiterates the importance of urban design policies to create accessible green spaces in cities to enhance people's mental health and overall well-being. The researchers are now working on another study to understand how a 60-minute walk in nature versus an urban environment affects stress in mothers and their children.
