Study says short ‘awe-inspiring’ walk once a week can dramatically improve mood

We all know nature is good for both our physical and mental health.

Over the years numerous studies have highlighted the positive impact it can have on us.

But, while it’s assumed we need to get outside regularly, new research has found it could be down to quality, not quantity, as a short ‘awe-inspiring’ walk once a week can dramatically improve our mood.

The new study – from Trinity College Dublin and the University of California at San Francisco –  has found that a regular dose of ‘awe’ works wonders for people’s mental health and helps them smile more and shift focus from the problems to the natural world. It featured 52 adults, aged between 60 and 90, who were split into two groups.

Half of the participants in the study were asked to replicate the emotion of awe during their walks – the rest in the ‘control group’ were not. 

The control group were asked to simply take a stroll, while the other group were encouraged to seek out awe. They were told: ‘Awe can be found almost anywhere, but it is most likely to occur in places that involve two key features: physical vastness and novelty.’

After each walk, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire detailing the emotions they had experienced. According to the research, older adults who took weekly 15-minute ‘awe walks’ for eight weeks, reported increased positive emotions such as compassion and gratitude and less distress in their day-to-day lives.

One participant reflected on the ‘beautiful fall colours and the absence of them amidst the evergreen forest… how the leaves were no longer crunchy underfoot because of the rain and how the walk was more spongy now… the wonder that a small child feels as they explore their expanding world.’

Whereas participants from the control group showed a more inward focus. One commented: ‘I thought about our vacation in Hawaii coming up this next Thursday. Thought about all the things I had to do before we leave.’

What’s more, those in the control group actually took more frequent walks – perhaps because some suspected that the study was focused on exercise. But this did not result in similar shifts in emotional wellbeing.

Professor Virginia Sturm, of UC San Francisco, said: ‘What we show here is that a very simple intervention – essentially a reminder to occasionally shift our energy and attention outward instead of inward – can lead to significant improvements in emotional well-being.’

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