The modern lifestyle, the frenetic pace of our daily lives, the endless hours of work and our various obligations – family and otherwise – create intense stress in all people, which in many cases they are unable to eliminate.
The easy solution for everyone is to take a sleeping pill or to lash out at our own people who are not our fault. There is a much easier solution with much better results.
According to a recent study conducted at the University of Michigan, twenty to thirty minutes of contact with nature every day is enough to reduce the levels of stress hormones that our body produces during the day.
Many of us knew or assumed that contact with nature relieves us. However, this is now scientifically proven, while the minimum time required to reap the benefits for our bodies has also been determined.
The scientists who conducted the research say that we don't need to go to the mountains. A green park that may be in our neighborhood is enough. "Our study shows that to reap the greatest benefits in terms of reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, we need to spend 20 to 30 minutes - either sitting or walking - in a place that gives us the feeling of being in contact with nature," says the head of the research.
Dr. Mary Carol Hunter and her colleagues asked volunteers to get in touch with nature for ten minutes, or even more if they could, three times a week for two consecutive months.
In order to see the effects of contact with nature, they measured cortisol levels (via saliva) before and after their nature walk.
The scientists suggested that the volunteers who participated in the research come into contact with nature during the day (not in the evening hours), not to talk on the phone during the walk, not to surf the internet, and not to do aerobic exercise.
The results were impressive. Stress hormone levels decreased significantly after twenty to thirty minutes of contact with nature, whether the person was walking, or simply sitting on a bench or under a tree.
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