The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

Are you feeling stressed, scattered, or mentally drained? Science suggests a surprisingly simple way to feel better: spending time in nature.

In this episode of Nature Breaking, we explore the growing body of psychological research showing how time spent outdoors improves focus, mood, and overall mental health. Host Seth Larson is joined by Dr. Dennis Stolle, Executive Lead Psychologist for Applied Psychology at the American Psychological Association (APA), to break down what's actually happening in our brains when we step into outside—and why even small doses of nature can make a real difference. It's an important reminder that when we take care of nature, nature takes care of us.

This episode was produced as part of a collaboration between WWF and APA in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Links for More Info:

Dr. Dennis Stolle bio

American Psychological Association

WWF – Mental Health & Nature page

Chapters:

0:00 Preview

0:33 Intro

2:07 History of research into nature and mental health

5:09 What happens in our brains when we're outside?

9:21 How time in nature improves happiness

13:19 How too much time indoors or on screens hurts our mental health

16:43 Tips for boosting mental health through nature

20:41 We need nature, and nature needs us

23:08 Outro