Ten minutes in nature to reduce student stress

American researchers have shown that spending just ten minutes in the wild can lighten the stress and anxiety experienced by young people aged 15 to 30. For this new research, a team from the Cornell University reviewed 14 previous studies that looked at the effects of time spent in the wild on students aged 15 to 30. These studies had been carried out in Japan, Sweden and the United States. They had recorded “processing” times (the number of hours and minutes spent in the wild) and changes in welfare and mental health before and after these outdoor sessions. They also assessed the participants' mental well-being based on the time spent in urban environment or natural.

Their results, included in the review Frontiers in Psychology, have shown that spending between 10 and 50 minutes in a natural environment seems to contribute to an improvement in mood, concentration of the students and physiological markers of stress such as blood pressure and heart rate. " The beneficial effects do not take long to be felt – we are talking about 10 minutes spent in a natural space, commented author Gen Meredith. We firmly believe that every student, regardless of specialty or workload, has such duration available to him every day, or at least a few times a week. "

A positive effect in ten short minutes

Regarding the maximum limit of 50 minutes for enjoying the benefits of time spent in the wild, co-author Donald Rakow explained that " there is no decline after 50 minutes, but rather the benefits physiological and reported psychological tend to peak after this period. "

The researchers also found that the students can just sit or walk in a natural environment for it to have a positive effect on their health. " We wanted to keep this access to nature as simple and achievable as possible, notes Professor Rakow. Although there are many studies of programs where we spend more time outdoors, we wanted to quantify the doses in minutes, not days ". But Professor Meredith adds that " it is an opportunity to question our conception of nature. It really surrounds us: trees, a flowerpot, a piece of grass or a wooded area. "

The team notes that their results show that spending time in the wild could be prescribed as a form of treatment to prevent or improve stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues experienced by students. The new meta-analysis even suggests the "dose" of treatment needed to produce an effect.

" Prescribing a dose can legitimize the doctor's recommendations and set a tangible goal, adds Professor Meredith. It's different from just saying: "Get out!" There is something specific that the student can strive for. "

To reduce stress, spend at least 20 min a day in nature!

Article by Marie-Céline Ray, published on April 8, 2024

A University of Michigan study found that a 20-minute session in contact with nature effectively lowers the rates of hormone stress, the cortisol. A simple walk, or a little time spent sitting contemplating the vegetation in an urban park, may be enough. Here is an inexpensive method to reduce daily stress.

This study published in Frontiers in Psychology may inspire healthcare professionals dealing with stressed patients. In one communicated, MaryCarol Hunter, lead author of this article, explained that "We know that spending time in nature reduces stress, but until now, we were not sure how much, how often, or even what kind of experience in nature would benefit us."

To answer these questions, the researchers recruited 36 people living in cities. Over an eight-week period, participants had to spend time in the wild, at least ten minutes, three times a week, or more. Cortisol levels – a hormone from the stress – were measured in a sample of saliva.

Significant drop in cortisol levels

The researcher specifies that "The participants were free to choose the time of day, the duration and the location from their experience in nature ”. The authors still imposed some constraints on them: spending this time in full nature during the day, without playing sports at the same time and avoid using your smartphone during this privileged moment.

The results showed that only 20 minutes is enough to significantly reduce the cortisol level. It doesn't matter whether it's walking or sitting watching nature. The most effective dose seemed to be between 20 and 30 minutes because this duration effectively lowered the cortisol level. Beyond that, there were also earnings but which increased more slowly.