What a Little Time Outside Can Lead To
Spending time in nature is linked to better mood, lower stress, and less mental fatigue, according to reviews of nature-based research. A UK survey of 2,096 adults found that feeling connected to nature and doing simple things outdoors, like smelling flowers or relaxing in a garden, mattered more for well-being than total time spent outside. Easy ways to start include birdwatching, nature photography, forest bathing, walking in a local park, and making room for outdoor time when you travel.
What a Little Time Outside Can Lead To
My son-in-law Kent stepped outside for a break from his desk. Now he leads guided birdwatching trips.
Here's how that happened.
Kent works from home, and like a lot of us, he needed a way to give his brain a rest during the workday. So he started stepping outside to watch the birds.
Pretty soon, those breaks were the part of the day he looked forward to. The more he watched, the more he loved it.
He bought a used camera from a relative and started photographing what he saw. Then he started an Instagram account as a creative outlet, a place to share the birds he was finding. For his 30th birthday, he treated himself to a brand-new, top-of-the-line camera.
And now he's taking other people out to find birds, too.
All of that started with a few minutes outside. You can see his photos here: @ke_nature_photos.
Hello, "grandma hobbies"
Kent is in good company. Younger people are picking up what some call "grandma hobbies" or "granny hobbies": birdwatching, gardening, knitting, and other pastimes that give you something absorbing to do away from a screen.
I'll admit the name makes me smile. I'm a grandma now! And I love that these hobbies are having a moment. They give you something to learn, a reason to make something, and the simple pleasure of getting curious about what's right in front of you.
I think we can take a cue from the younger crowd. Follow what interests you. Let yourself be a beginner. Enjoy something without needing to be good at it right away. There may be something to that, too: people who feel more connected to nature tend to report more personal growth.
For a lot of us, that can start by stepping outside.
Why getting outside is worth it
There's research behind that lift you feel outdoors. Reviews of nature-based activities point to better mood, lower perceived stress, and less mental fatigue. And studies comparing exercise in natural and urban outdoor settings suggest that where we move can affect how we feel afterward. In most of those studies, people walked or ran for 15 minutes to an hour, and the ones in natural settings felt less anxious and tired afterward, with more energy and a better mood.
How connected we feel to nature matters, too. In a survey of more than 2,000 UK adults, people who felt connected to nature and did simple things, like smelling flowers or relaxing in a garden, tended to report greater well-being.
What I love most about that survey is what the researchers called "moments, not minutes." How connected people felt, and the simple things they did outside, mattered more for their happiness than how many hours they spent outdoors. Other studies they describe found the same thing: people asked to notice everyday nature, like street trees or a colorful sky, felt better, even though they didn't spend more time outside.
So when you step outside, it's worth slowing down long enough to notice what's around you. It's the moments that count, not the minutes.
Start close to home
You don't have to go far. A neighborhood park, a nearby trail, or your own backyard is plenty. Pick whatever sounds like fun to you:
Watch birds. Start right outside your door. Notice their colors, how they move, and what they sound like. Learn their names as you get curious.
Take photos. Look for a detail that catches your eye: a reflection, a leaf, the pattern of bark. Your phone is all you need.
Try forest bathing. Wander slowly among the trees and stop to notice the sounds, smells, textures, and light.
Go for a hike. Pick a trail that fits your energy that day, and give yourself time to stop along the way.
Walk the same park. Go back regularly and watch it change with the seasons.
Spend time in a garden. Tend something, sketch a flower, or just sit and see what's going on around you.
Choose what you enjoy. That's what keeps you coming back.
Take it with you when you travel
The things you love doing at home can come along on your trips, too. Birdwatching, photography, walking, and hiking are all great ways to get to know somewhere new.
When you plan a trip, mix the museums, landmarks, shops, and restaurants with some time outdoors. Put at least one outdoor outing right on the itinerary. Explore a city park or botanical garden. Ask a local guide for their favorite hiking trail. Rent a bike and follow a scenic route the locals ride. Join a birdwatching walk, or spend a slow morning along the waterfront.
Those outings change the pace of the day. You notice the landscape, what grows there, and where the people who live there go to enjoy being outside.
Leave room to stop when something catches your eye. A view, a bird, or a quiet stretch of trail might be what you remember most.
To me, that's part of living well through the world: making room to really experience the places we visit, with curiosity and attention.
And we can bring that same approach home.
Leave room for discovery
Kent stepped outside because he needed a break. He had no idea watching birds would lead to photography, and eventually to guiding others.
Not every interest has to turn into something bigger. A walk you love coming back to is enough. But his story reminds me that small choices, made again and again, can open up a whole new way of seeing the world. It's worth leaving a little room for surprise.
Your turn this week
Living well doesn't take a big overhaul or a perfect plan. It starts with a little intention and a lot of curiosity. This week, choose one small way to step outside, close to home or somewhere new, and make it part of your day:
Pause at your door or window each morning and listen for one bird.
Explore a park you haven't been to in a while, and notice one thing that's new to you.
Follow a trail just to see where it goes.
Take a photo of something you'd usually walk right past.
Then give yourself a little time to see what's there.
Come along
If you'd like more small, curious ways to live well through the world, join my email list to get more ideas like these.
And if you'd love to explore somewhere new with time to slow down and get outside, take a look at our trip to Slovenia. Getting into nature is a big part of how we'll experience it.
Sources
Barragan-Jason, G., et al. (2023). Psychological and physical connections with nature improve both human well-being and nature conservation: A systematic review of meta-analyses. Biological Conservation, 277, 109842. doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109842
Pritchard, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., & McEwan, K. (2020). The relationship between nature connectedness and eudaimonic well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 1145–1167. doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00118-6
Richardson, M., Passmore, H.-A., Lumber, R., Thomas, R., & Hunt, A. (2021). Moments, not minutes: The nature-wellbeing relationship. International Journal of Wellbeing, 11(1), 8–33. doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v11i1.1267
Silva, A., Matos, M., & Gonçalves, M. (2023). Nature and human well-being: A systematic review of empirical evidence from nature-based interventions. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2023.2227761
Wicks, C., Barton, J., Orbell, S., & Andrews, L. (2022). Psychological benefits of outdoor physical activity in natural versus urban environments: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 14, 1037–1061. doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12353
Zhang, Z., Ye, B., Yang, W., & Gao, Y. (2024). Effect of nature space on enhancing humans' health and well-being: An integrative narrative review. Forests, 15, 100. doi.org/10.3390/f15010100