Spending just 15 minutes in nature can have this surprising health benefit
For millions of people across the country living in busy urban environments, finding a touch of nature can be challenging. But data from a team at Stanford University in California shows it could be worth the effort, particularly for young adults.
The study, published in the journal Nature Cities, reported 'significant benefits' of spending even a short time in nature for a broad range of mental health conditions, saying the data showed a 'mental health solution'.
More than 80 per cent of the UK population lives in urban areas, government statistics show, with the number expected to continue to grow.
Analysis of close to 5,900 participants found they didn't need to be active to feel an improvement, with stationary time in green spaces found to be more effective at reducing negative mental health outcomes like depression than active time in nature.
They found all types of urban nature provided benefits, but urban forests were the best for reducing depression and anxiety.
Young adults experienced even greater benefits than the general population, researchers said, which they added was 'important' because 'most mental health disorders emerge before the age of 25'.
The team hopes to help advise urban planners and decision-makers in cities, using models to predict how increased green spaces could help prevent mental health disorders and bring down healthcare costs, as well as bringing 'additional benefits' like lowering temperatures and sequestering carbon.
'For example, we could run scenarios like: if a city currently has 20 per cent green space or tree cover, how many preventable cases of mental health disorders could be avoided if that were increased to 30 per cent?' said lead author Lingjie Li. ' We will also be working to include estimates of the potential avoided healthcare costs associated with such improvements in urban nature.'
They added that while larger city parks and forests are 'critical', urban planners should also consider including 'pocket parks' and planting more trees on streets to help bring the benefits of nature into dense urban areas.
Dr Li said doing the work has improved his own lifestyle, adding that he now walks to the office more frequently and finds he is more curious about birds and plants he encounters along the way.
'I also talk to my friends about thinking this way and encourage them to notice how even small moments with nature can make a difference,' he said. 'This work has helped me see that urban nature isn't just good for cities – it's good for us.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Eight easy ways to get your kids into astronomy including best apps & budget gear to combat summer holiday boredom
IF summer holiday boredom is setting in, the answer could be written in the stars. Astronomy is growing in popularity across the UK, with retailer Argos reporting sales of telescopes and binoculars up 1,380 per cent year-on-year. 5 5 Fans are also turning to 'Spacetok' with the astronomy hashtag used more than 540,000 times on social media. With planet-spotting's popularity going into orbit, the good news is you don't need to spend lots of money on equipment to get started. Anyone can have a go on a budget! Outreach astronomer Neill Sanders, founder of has advice for beginners on navigating the night sky. Whether you live in the city, suburbs or deep in the countryside, you can look up from anywhere. Try in a garden, nearby park or through a bedroom window. Remember to turn off any lights first and give your eyes around 15 minutes to adjust. The darker the sky, the more stars you are likely to see. So if there is a lot of light pollution in your area it can be well worth travelling a few miles to see more. CLOSE CALL 'It was a sign' - Clare girl, 10, spots surprise comet that 'shines brighter than Venus' There are stargazing sites all over the UK and an outing to a designated Dark Sky area is great fun. Many are free and have toilets and parking for your adventure. NIGHT SKIES: A quick online search will offer the lunar calendar with precise moon phases planned out. Try to time your stargazing session so it takes place in the days before, during or just after a new moon. At this time, you should be able to see thousands of stars with only your eyes. If you do have use of a telescope, this is also the best time to see galaxies and star clusters. 5 You might even get lucky and see the Milky Way arching across the sky, depending on the month of the year and time of night. Natural moonlight washes out the light from most stars so during a full moon is the worst time to stargaze, as fewer are visible. PRECISE PEEPERS: There's no need for flashy kit. Depending on the amount of light pollution, you could see up to 3,000 stars from a dark-sky location with no equipment at all. But a set of budget binoculars will let you see far more. A basic pair, magnifying 10x50, is ideal for beginners and children, and are widely available from around £30 in many high street stores. If you decide to invest further, specialist supplier has great advice and affordable beginner telescopes. To stabilise your eyes, fix a pair of binoculars to a tripod or rest them on a garden fence or wall. PLAN IT: Dress appropriately — even in a heatwave it can get cold at night. A chair to perch on is useful too, and in a pitch-black area, it is advisable to take along a rechargeable torch. Try to use a red beam, as white light can affect how well your eyes focus once looking upwards. Red bike lights make great stargazing torches, as they don't affect 'dark-adjusted' eyes. Leave your phone in your pocket, too, or put a red filter on it. If you do need to use white light for any reason, be mindful of other stargazers. And always stay safe. Tell someone where you are going and don't forget to take drinks and snacks. ASTRONOMERS APPS: Your smartphone or tablet is a super source of star charts for spotting constellations and learning your way around the night sky. Check out resources such as Star Walk, Star Tracker and Sky Safari in your app store. 5 Some even present a real-time view of the night sky using GPS, a compass and built-in inclinometer to give details about the object your phone is pointed at. Just remember to look away from your phone and up to the stars. Or opt for a traditional printed star-chart instead. Be patient, as your eyes settle, you will start to see more stars. JOIN A GROUP: Getting together with other people is a great way to start off, and helps make it more affordable. Most of the local astronomy groups and observatories in the UK hold events or observing sessions, which you can attend for free or for a few pounds. TIPS FOR WATCHING METEOR SHOWERS Avoid light pollution - Stargazers should head to a location well away the city lights, the glow of a town, and even that of street lamps Put the phone away - You should give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the dark so you can see the fainter meteors Unobstructed view - Make sure that your star gazing spot has an unobstructed view of the horizon and above, away from treelines or cityscapes is best Stargazing societies welcome everyone — including complete beginners. As well as being a way to learn more, it can also give you access to some hi- tech kit that would be too expensive to buy yourself. Some astronomy groups will even lend telescopes to members. SHAPE SHIFTERS: Swot up on famous constellations and use your star chart or app to find them. Officially, these are the 88 recognised patterns that help astronomers divide the sky into sections, but you will also see smaller patterned shapes known as asterisms. Good ones to seek out are the famous Plough, the lion- shaped Leo and Ursa Major, which resembles a bear. Remember, not all constellations can be seen year-round. Shooting stars are the perfect starting point and they are happening now until August 23 You will not find Orion, the skyward hunter, in the summertime in the UK as he is only visible in winter. With practice, you will soon start to spot planets such as Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, as stars will twinkle but planets won't. SHOOTING STARS: For some added excitement, note dates of meteor showers in UK skies. These atmospheric firework displays take place at the same time annually, and are best seen with the naked eye and in groups. They are perfect starting points for beginners, young stargazers and families. You may see small streaks of shooting space dust or more dramatic colourful bursts. The names of meteor showers are based on the constellation where they appear to radiate from. Clubs and societies often arrange meteor shower meets or even Stay And Gaze events. Now, until August 23 a shower known as Perseids is taking place. Perfect timing for the holidays!
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Why A-level joy may turn to despair for the graduates of tomorrow
There is much to celebrate in this year's A-level results. Teenagers across Britain have jumped for joy that record numbers are heading to university — with more than a quarter of a million being accepted into their first choice of university, a record 82 per cent. In total, 439,180 applicants have been accepted on to higher education courses. This year's students are the second cohort to have their grading returned to pre-pandemic standards across the board. For those who achieved what they wanted, we offer many congratulations and good wishes for the next stage in your education. These results are a testament to the hard work put in by pupils, teachers, schools and their families. And for those who did not fulfil their expectations, they can take comfort in the fact that many who went on to great success did not boast academic prowess. Winston Churchill, for example, was a notoriously poor student and failed the entrance exam to Sandhurst twice. Jeremy Clarkson, who left school with a C and two Us at A-Level, has reminded us in his annual tradition on social media that his life has turned out rather well after all. There are two notable shifts in this year's results. One is that boys have pulled ahead of girls: 9.9 per cent of their entries were marked grade A compared with 9.1 per cent for girls — the first time since 2018 that boys came ahead of their female counterparts. The other is that science subjects appear to be on the rise. Politicians have worried about the lack of appetite for science subjects but this year's results suggest otherwise. The Institute of Physics reports that the number of A-levels for the subject is the highest this century. This may be future-proofing their careers ahead. • Emma Duncan: Did results day prove girls are really cleverer than boys? Yet the world that awaits this future graduate cohort is far from cheerful. Artificial intelligence is already threatening the market for entry-level jobs, with reports suggesting the number of openings has fallen by a third since the end of 2022. The chief executive of Anthropic, an AI company, has warned that half of entry-level white-collar jobs could be eliminated within the next five years. According to the Department for Education, degrees such as medicine and engineering have the highest salaries ten years after graduation. These are as good a bet as any against the gathering storm. But what is just as concerning for new students is debt. The average pile accumulated at university is £53,000, a significantly higher level than graduates can expect to earn in salary for some time. Thanks to inflation, fees have been declining in real terms since 2012 and the cap on what institutions can charge will rise to £9,535. Thanks to the absurdly high interest charged, graduates face a de facto tax from the day they enter the workplace for decades ahead. More transparency is vital on the link between studies and earnings. The government has promised to make such data accessible, albeit with little progress. Pupils should be able to find out which degrees can benefit them the most. The level of debt speaks to a wider rot within the universities sector. Ever since Tony Blair decreed in 1999 that he wanted 50 per cent of young adults to go into higher education, too many students have been studying degrees that are unlikely to reap great rewards — all propped up by ever-rising fees. A drop in international students will worsen the funding challenges. The UK can proudly claim some of the world's finest universities, but it is overdue a serious rethink about what is viable.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Brain chip could translate thoughts into speech
Technology with the ability to decode a person's inner thoughts and translate them into speech in real time has moved a step closer after the testing of a new brain implant, scientists have claimed. Researchers at Stanford University in California said that their device was able, with 74 per cent accuracy, to detect a person's 'inner speech' — where they imagined saying a specified set of words in their mind without any effort to physically utter them — and decipher which words they were thinking about. They said that it could represent a breakthrough for people with various forms of paralysis or impairments that prevent them from speaking unaided and could one day 'restore communication that is as fluent, natural and comfortable as conversational speech'.
