Hi, I’m Carin Rockind, welcome to PPND Bites, where we give you 60-second helpings of the positive psychology news you need to know.
It’s beautiful out, and it’s no surprise that nature makes us feel good. But the question is how and why, and how do we get more out of it? Well, a research study at Southern California University says 15 minutes of sitting outside, not just being outside. What they did is: they separated their participants. Some were immersed in nature and actually had the assignment of looking around and savoring what they saw. And the others were in a stadium, so still outside, but built, and they still needed to look around. What they found is that those really immersed in nature, they felt absorbed in it, so they had a higher sense of awe and higher positive emotions.
This is great to know for the summer, so that any of us who want a little boost of positivity, the key is, go outside for 15 minutes and really immerse yourself in it, and that’s how we can be happier. We hope that this helps you take a bite out of life.
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References
Ballew, M. T., & Omoto, A. M. (2018). Absorption: How nature experiences promote awe and other positive emotions. Ecopsychology, 10(1)