You’ve probably heard all the standard advice about caring for yourself. Most of us know we should eat a balanced diet that leans toward unprocessed foods, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and get appropriate screenings and preventive care from medical professionals.
But a growing body of evidence is finding that “green therapy”—time spent enjoying nature—can also greatly improve your overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Here are four ways that increasing the time you spend in nature can improve your health—and your leadership abilities:
It can restore your attention capacity.
In a 2008 study, psychologists split subjects into two groups and asked one group to take a walk on a wooded path while the other walked through the city. Both groups were then asked to perform a concentration-intensive task. The group that walked through nature performed up to 20% better. The following week, the researchers repeated the experiment but had the groups switch locations. The group that walked through nature again performed better than the group that walked through the city.
You might think that the nature groups had good weather or pleasant scenery. But to really test their theory, researchers repeated the experiment during a brutal winter in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The results were the same.
This study validates attention restoration theory (ART), the idea that spending time in nature can improve concentration. The human capacity to concentrate is limited, and we can quickly exhaust it when we’re engaged in work that requires focus. Walking in nature exposes us to what the study’s authors call “inherently fascinating stimuli”—inputs that don’t need our direct attention and allow us to replenish our attention resources for other tasks.
It can reduce stress levels.
When we are presented with stressful situations, our bodies respond by activating the sympathetic nervous system. This system increases our blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar to prepare us to respond to stress. These responses are designed to help us protect ourselves or perform tasks in a way that preserves our safety. Stress responses are not bad in themselves, but if they are present constantly, they will trigger long-term changes and potentially cause physical damage.
Fortunately, spending time outside can reduce physical stress almost immediately. One study found that as little as five minutes of viewing nature scenes on paper triggered subjects’ bodies to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces stress responses.
Leaders who know how to manage their stress levels can work better with a wide range of personalities and work styles—and avoid burnout in the process.
It improves physical health.
A number of studies link exposure to the outdoors to a significant reduction in chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, possibly because people who spend time outside tend to get more exercise and be generally more active.
But you don’t have to be an athlete to reap physical benefits from nature. Regular sunlight will boost your body’s production of vitamin D, which is crucial for immune system function. In addition, plants release phytoncides, antimicrobial volatile organic compounds that help protect the plant. Some studies suggest that when we breathe these chemicals, they can boost the amount and activity of immune cells that fight viruses and cancer cells.
Staying physically healthy is one of the most foundational requirements of a good manager. After all, you can’t execute on your goals and objectives if you’re out sick!
It improves mental well-being.
Multiple studies have shown that exposure to green spaces and nature can significantly reduce the risk of developing psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. A 2019 study found that people who spent at least two hours per week in nature were more likely to report good health or high levels of well-being than those who spent less than two hours per week outside. Another study of 900,000 children in Denmark found that those “who lived in neighborhoods with more green space had reduced risk of mental disorders later in life.”
Mental well-being is vital to good leadership. When leaders take the time to improve their mental health with a dose of nature, they can return to their desks more prepared to manage their emotions and take on the challenges of their positions.
Finding time to get outside can be tough, even for just a few minutes, but a little “green therapy” is never a waste of time.Try to carve out a few minutes every day to sit in a park, walk on a tree-lined path, or even just stand in the sunlight. Leave your phone behind or turn off notifications to disconnect for a few minutes if you can. To up your game, engage in a little “cloud watching” while breathing fresh air.
If you can’t find the time to get outside regularly, try bringing the inside to you! Decorate your office with a few houseplants or some artwork of nature scenes. Introduce nature sounds into your background noise with recordings of birdsong or flowing water. Even just turning your desk toward a window can help increase your exposure to nature.
Although we are used to spending most of our time in houses, buildings, cars, and other enclosures, humans need exposure to sunlight, greenery, and waterways. When we introduce “green therapy” into our overall wellness regimen, we are bound to improve not only our own health but also the health of our teams and organizations.
Self-check:
- How much time do I usually spend outside every week?
- How could I increase my time outside every week?
- Could I bring more nature into my office environment?
- Can I encourage my team to get outside more often?
