Nature Boosts Vitality

Previously, researchers in the field of experimental psychology have associated spending time in a nature setting with increased energy and heightened sense of well-being, and have even reported that the activity of simply recalling outdoor experiences increases feelings of happiness and health. Richard M. Ryan, from the University of Rochester (New York, USA), and colleagues conducted a series of five studies, involving 537 college students, to assess the effects of being outdoors on subjective vitality.  Across all study situations, subjects consistently felt more energetic when they spent time in natural settings or imagined themselves in such situations. The researchers found that exposure to the outside nature setting for as little as 20 minutes in a day was sufficient to significantly boost vitality levels.