Did you know that you can lift your mood by spending just a few minutes a day listening to birdsong? Or that walking barefoot on the ground can help you sleep better, improve your health and boost your happiness? Adding one or two simple nature-full tweaks to your daily routine has been scientifically proven to work wonders for your happiness, strength of mind and general wellbeing.
A study by the American National Library of Medicine found that spending just 20 minutes per day in the sunshine can improve your mood and quality of sleep significantly. How? It’s mostly down to the happy hormones nature helps us produce - and the negative ones it reduces.
Time spent in nature sparks a series of happy reactions inside us, reducing our cortisol (stress) levels, increasing our levels of serotonin (the happiness hormone), and it can even cause us to produce the love hormone oxytocin (which is great if you’re feeling lonely).
© GettyWhile we'd all love to spend 20 minutes a day basking in the great outdoors, sometimes it's just not possible. Whether it's a busy work day, a frantic evening spent ferrying the kids around, or the weather isn't playing ball, some days you simply can't make the time to spend time in nature.
But we have good news. An international study conducted by Professor Dacher Keltner at the University of California, Berkeley, revealed that even watching a short clip of a nature show leads to significant increases in positive emotions including awe, contentedness, joy and amusement.
RELATED: Affected by anxiety and stress? You could have nature deficit disorder
Collaborating with BBC Worldwide, the study asked over 7,500 participants from the US, UK, Singapore, India, South Africa and Australia to complete a short survey to establish their mood state before being shown clips from the BBC’s Planet Earth II series. Professor Keltner's study also found those watching had substantial decreases in emotions such as nervousness, anxiety and fear.
So, with that in mind, here are three easy ways to embrace the happiness-boosting power of nature, without stepping foot outside your front door.
MORE ON NATURE: How cold-water swimming eased my anxiety and isolation
How nature can make you happier - without going outside
1. Listen to a nature playlist
We don't mean you have to listen to spa-inspired whale song music (though by all means, do that if it's your thing!), but Spotify has some seriously cheerful birdsong playlists that are way more fun than they sound.
Simply search birdsong and flick through until you find the one for you. Not only will it make you feel uplifted, we find it's better for our concentration levels than radio DJ chatter.
DISCOVER: I suffer from SAD, and this is the one thing that lifts my mood without fail
2. Switch your screensaver
If you're anything like us, the background on your computer is probably a default one that came pre-loaded, but changing your home screen background to a picture of somewhere beautiful in nature is an easy swap that will help with your happiness.
© Getty3. Bring the outside in
"Have nature all around you every day," says wild swimming coach Jen Grange who strongly believes in the power of the great outdoors.
"Add pot plants to your desk, pictures of nature on the wall or even a bird feeder to your window. Try it, it makes a huge difference."
READ: How nature cured my heartbreak after a brutal breakup
4. Attend a virtual safari
Many of us fantasise about heading to the African planes to immerse ourselves in wildlife, but few of us make it further than the dreaming stage. However, Samsung TV Plus and WildEarth have made it that bit easier, with the launch of their incredible new nature channel, which offers live broadcasts from safaris, so you can watch animal adventures in real-time, from the comfort of your home.
Forget CountryFile, this is real-time wildlife immersion, up close and personal with the most magnificent animals to walk the planet.
Subscribe to Hello Happiness, for your ultimate guide on how to be happier and watch our round-up of easy happiness hacks below
