Psychology researchers at Cornell University in New York State have determined how ten minutes a day spent doing just one exercise can drastically reduce the risk of burnout in students aged 15 to 30.
Science says it all: spending 10 minutes in nature every day can only do you good. Better, according to the calculations of an American team of academics, a single walk a day could reduce and prevent anxiety and depression in the long term.
It was based on a sample of students that the researchers determined that spending 10 to 50 minutes a day in nature increased the ability to concentrate, lowered blood pressure, lowered heart rate, and was good for the moral. (Beyond 50 minutes, the benefits stagnate, but do not diminish.)
Rather than jogging, the study recommends spending time in nature sitting or walking. Which makes it the perfect free and easy antidepressant. “We wanted an exercise in the great outdoors that was as simple and feasible as possible” Explain Dr Donald Rakow, co-author of this study published in the academic journal Frontiers in Psychology.
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Prevent burnout free of charge and everywhere
Do you have to have the luxury of a park or a beach near your home to be in the right conditions? Absolutely not, replies co-author Gen Meredith: “It’s up to us to decide what our natural space is. Trees, a garden, a patch of lawn, a grove or just a flower pot, nature is everywhere around us.”
Friluftsliv, antidote against burnout?
This concept, straight from the Nordic countries, simply means spending more time outdoors. Thus, despite the cold temperatures and the hours of sunshine less in winter, followers of this art of living knowingly choose to play sports, see relatives, cook or relax outdoors. Where a car journey is only a transitional space between an interior A to an interior B, the Friluftsliv offers you to consider your garden as a full room of your house throughout the year.
“Living Friluftsliv fully means being outdoors as much as possible, which is good for your physical and mental health”, explains Swedish psychologist Niels Eék to Stylist UK. “In the Scandinavian countries, this concept is an integral part of our life because there are very few of us living on huge lands. We are therefore free to move where we want without hindrance.”
As you can see, stepping outside for 10 minutes a day in all weathers, even in Scandinavia, can be the miracle solution you’ve been waiting for.