Grass, trees, flowers. Simply living near them, be they in parks or gardens can have a small, but very real, positive impact on health.
According to The Atlantic, researchers at the University of Exeter analyzed nearly two decades of data on approximately 10,000 U.K. citizens living in urban areas, asking how satisfied they were with their lives and whether they showed signs of psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. They found that well-being increased proportionally as the amount of green space within 2.5 miles increased. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.
From the article:
The association of green spaces with well-being was small. But other factors you’d expect to impact well-being, like neighborhood crime rates and average neighborhood income, surprisingly, had no significant association at all with mental health or life satisfaction. Nature, on the other hand, seems to remain significant regardless of everything else going on. And as the authors point out, marriage only benefits two people. Planting more gardens has the potential to improve life for everyone, all at once.
Read the full story here.
