What Are the Benefits of Green Spaces on Mental Health?

It's a well-known fact that spending time in nature can make you feel better. 

Green spaces can have a surprisingly huge impact on mental health, offering benefits that go beyond just relaxation. 

Natural environments provide a break from the stress and demands of daily life. This can help reduce anxiety, as well as improve mood.

Whether it's a hike in the woods, a stroll through a park, or simply sitting in a garden, being in green spaces allows people to recharge mentally and emotionally.

This is especially important in urban environments, where life can get stuffy and hectic in the blink of an eye. 

If you want to know more about the benefits of green spaces on mental health, keep reading. 

Do Green Spaces Improve Mental Health?

Life in cities and urban environments can be stressful for a number of reasons. 

The constant exposure to noise, crowded spaces, and fast-paced lifestyles can take their toll on your mental health. The limited access to natural settings and fresh air only makes it worse. 

These are only some of the reasons why spending time in green spaces is necessary. 

When we say green spaces, we're referring to:

• Public parks
• Gardens
• Green roofs and green walls
• Urban forests 
• Tree-lined streets
• Nature and wildlife reserves
• Agricultural land and orchards 
• Private gardens 

The benefits of green spaces are multifaceted. These advantages extend to economic, environmental, and social spheres. 

But, most importantly, green spaces are good for your mental health. 

It doesn't matter if you go to a local park, a community garden, or a sprawling urban forest. The presence of greenery can impact your mental state. 

Spending time in green spaces can help:

1. Reduce stress and anxiety
2. Improve well-being and mood
3. Reduce symptoms of depression
4. Enhance cognitive function and attention span
5. Boost physical health, which supports mental health
6. Reduce the risk of mental health disorders

Reducing Stress and Anxiety

Have you ever noticed that spending time in nature can make you more relaxed?

That's because exposure to green environments can lower cortisol, the body's main stress hormone. 

Studies have shown that spending some time in green spaces, even as little as 20 minutes, can significantly decrease stress and anxiety.

That's why experts suggest going out for a walk through your local park when you're feeling low. 

Green spaces provide a soothing environment. Nature offers a sensory escape from the noise, crowds, and fast pace of urban life.

This doesn't only apply to parks and forests. Any greenery will do. 

Rooftop gardens, for example, provide recreational community spaces. People can use these spaces to relax and enjoy each other's company. 

If your building has a green roof, you can access its health benefits even faster and more frequently. 

Improving Well-Being and Mood

Green spaces have been associated with higher levels of happiness and well-being. 

Spending time in parks, forests, and other green areas can provide a sense of calm. This is essential for emotional well-being.

Green spaces offer a peaceful environment that helps reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels. They also promote a sense of calm. 

Spending time in nature allows people to unwind, which supports emotional balance and resilience.

Being exposed to green spaces and sunlight can improve mood. 

Time in nature has been shown to raise serotonin levels and support a positive mindset, which contributes to happiness.

Parks and green spaces are gathering places that encourage social interaction, which is also key for mental health and well-being. 

Connecting with others helps reduce loneliness, builds a sense of belonging, and strengthens community ties. All of these are linked to improved well-being.

The greater the exposure to green spaces, the better quality of life for both children and adults. 

Reducing Depression Symptoms

The importance of green space for mental health can also be seen through reduced symptoms of depression. 

This can be seen through a unique combination of physical, emotional, and social benefits achieved through:

• Exposure to natural light
• Encouraged physical activity
• A calming environment
• Social interaction
• Promoting mindfulness and presence
• Boosting self-esteem and a self of achievement 

Spending time outdoors exposes people to natural sunlight. 

This boosts the production of serotonin, a hormone associated with happiness and mood regulation.

Green spaces also encourage mindfulness. They draw attention to the present moment through nature's beauty and tranquillity.

Practising mindfulness in green spaces can reduce rumination. This is a common symptom of depression. 

Green spaces help by shifting the focus away from negative thoughts.

Enhancing Cognitive Function and Attention

Green spaces can also improve one's cognitive function and attention span. 

Being in green spaces can help recharge the brain's cognitive resources. This is especially important after periods of intense concentration.

Urban environments are filled with stimuli, which demand constant attention. For instance, traffic, screens, and noise. All these distractions can lead to cognitive overload. 

Green spaces offer a break. They reduce mental fatigue and allow the mind to refresh. This boosts focus and productivity when returning to tasks.

Improved cognitive functioning in nature-rich environments is particularly beneficial for:

• Children
• Older adults
• Those with attention disorders

Spending time in nature can also improve attention span and focus. This is sometimes referred to as "attention restoration theory."

According to this theory, natural environments help replenish our capacity for directed attention.

Our attention can become depleted through intense focus on tasks. For example, work or study.

Green spaces engage our attention in a soft, effortless way. They allow the brain to rest and restore its ability to concentrate and process information.

Boosting Physical Health, which Supports Mental Health

Green spaces encourage physical activity. 

Being physically active is strongly linked to better mental health. Activities in nature can improve your mood and lessen your anxiety.

These activities include:

1. Walking
2. Jogging
3. Running
4. Cycling 
5. Rollerblading 
6. Hiking
7. Outdoor exercises 

Regular exercise is well-known to reduce symptoms of depression and improve mood. This is achieved by decreasing stress and increasing self-esteem.

Physical activity also releases endorphins, which promote happiness and reduce pain. In other words, it can create a positive feedback loop.

Both exercise and exposure to green spaces independently reduce cortisol. Together, they create a stronger impact. They help the body manage stress better.

Even light physical activity in nature, such as walking, can significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels.

Reducing the Risk of Mental Health Disorders 

Other mental health benefits of green spaces include reducing the risk of mental health disorders. 

Spending time in green spaces can also result in reduced levels of cortisol.

Stress can lead to anxiety disorders, not to mention other mental health problems over time. By lowering baseline stress, green spaces help prevent chronic stress.

Green spaces also promote the release of serotonin and endorphins. Both of these are mood-stabilising hormones.

Regular exposure to natural settings has been shown to improve mood and reduce the symptoms of depression.

It can help prevent depressive disorders from developing, especially in urban populations.

Parks and green spaces are natural gathering points where people can connect and socialise. 

These social interactions build a sense of community and reduce isolation. This is a key risk factor for mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. 

Feeling connected to others provides emotional support.

The Undeniable Mental Health Benefits of Green Spaces

Green spaces are key for promoting mental well-being and protecting against a range of mental health disorders. 

Green spaces contribute significantly to a balanced and resilient mind. They offer a calming escape from urban spaces. They also encourage physical activity, foster social connections, and provide space to relax. 

If you're looking to introduce some greenery into your living space, like a green roof or a green wall, we can make it happen. 

Evergreen Infrastructure presents a team of green space specialists. We are eager to transform plain unused urban spaces into lush green corners. 

From elaborate urban farms to stunning open green spaces, we are experts at turning urban spaces into a green haven.

Contact us if you want to know more. 

{{cta}}