Several scientific studies show that people living near green spaces would be happier, healthier and live longer than others. The research team from the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada, is continuing its research in this direction. Their latest study reports, more broadly, that looking and paying attention to the nature around us can increase happiness. Their results were published in the Journal of Positive Psychology.
Nature, essential to our well-being
The researchers worked with 395 volunteers, randomly divided into 3 different groups. For 2 weeks, the people in the first group were responsible for taking pictures of the nature they encountered in their daily routine and writing down in a few words what they felt. It wasn’t about spending hours outdoors, but more about seeing the sun through a window, the birds, the plant in your apartment or a tree next to a bus stop. The 2nd group was to do the same thing, but on man-made objects and the 3rd was the control group which did neither of these two experiments. More than 2,500 photos and descriptions of emotions were collected.
Empathy, the general feeling of belonging (to others or to nature), awareness of what is happening around you and acts of helpwithout expecting a counterpart were significantly higher in the first group. This research supports the theory that nature is an effective positive intervention in psychology. The authors believe that if people simply took the time to notice the nature around them, it could increase their happiness and personal well-being.
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