Spending time in nature can reduce feelings of loneliness, study suggests

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the social restrictions that have come with it, the number of people who have felt lonely often, or always, has significantly increased. Feeling overcrowded increased loneliness by an average of 39 per cent, while social inclusivity cut loneliness by 21 per cent, and contact with nature lowered it by 28 per cent. “Importantly, the combined effect of exposure to nature and social inclusivity further reduced the feeling of loneliness,” the study said. The data, which was collected between April 2018 and March 2020, “highlights the importance for policy makers to consider measures which would increase social inclusion and contact with nature”, the authors said. “There’s obviously no one single solution to loneliness but access to nature isn’t just nice to have, it relates to this human emotion that has big knock-on effects on our mental and physical health.” In October, a study by the University of York found that spending more time outdoors led to improved mood, more positive emotions, and less anxiety.