New Norwegian research shows that spending time in nature makes your life better.
Do you take walks on your own? Are you able to be fully present when you are outdoors? Solo hikes and walks help against loneliness, according to a new study.(Photo: Nina Kristiansen / Science Norway)
"We are so focused on setting goals in everything we do, but we should put that aside and simply let nature sink in. We have to choose to be present," says Helga Synnevåg Løvoll.
She is a professor of outdoor recreation at Volda University College.
We know that exercise is good. We feel that exercising in nature is even better. But there are other things that matter more. That's what Løvoll has researched.
Together with PhD candidate Raul Grau-Ruiz and other colleagues, she has looked at what it means for people to live close to nature.
How close do you live to a green area?
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The researchers used data from a Norwegian quality-of-life survey with responses from more than 30,000 people. Quality of life was measured in three ways: overall life satisfaction, how you feel, and whether you experience meaning in your life.
Participants’ answers were compared to whether they had easy access to a green area 200 metres from their home or a recreational area up to 500 metres away.
"It's about feeling safe when you’re out walking and being able to reach nature without having to travel," says Løvoll.
Although Norway is known for its natural landscapes, 35 per cent of people living in cities and towns have no nearby park, playground, or green space. Only half have access to hiking areas within walking distance, according to Statistics Norway.
The results show that proximity to nature is important to us. Those who have a green outdoor area nearby have a better quality of life than those who do not. This remained true even after accounting for factors such as employment, education, and marital status.
Adult men stand out. They benefit the most from living near something green.
Helga Løvoll researches outdoor recreation at Volda University College.(Photo: Nina Kristiansen / Science Norway)
Seven times more important to feel you belonging
Løvoll and her research team also looked at place attachment – whether people feel a sense of belonging to the place where they live.
The result was surprising.
Feeling connected to the place where you live is far more important for your quality of life than being physically active.
"In fact, place attachment has a seven times stronger effect on quality of life than physical activity," says Løvoll.
She also points out that more activity is not always better.
"Quality of life improves when you go from being inactive to being active once or several times a week. But if you increase to daily activity, it starts to decline again," says Løvoll.
Nature puts you in a better mood
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Thomas Hansen researches loneliness at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He has looked at the new study.
He notes that research consistently shows that people who spend time being active in nature tend to have better mental health, whether they are in city parks, in the mountains, or in forests.
Thomas Hansen researches loneliness at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.(Photo: StudioVest / OsloMet)
"Especially those with poor mental health and low quality of life often benefit from nature. This is easy to understand, because they become more physically active and focus less on their own negative thoughts. They get to see beautiful surroundings, take a break from stress, sleep better, and perhaps engage socially with others. This boosts self-esteem and improves mood," explains Hansen.
He says it's less clear why simply feeling connected to nature or one’s place of residence should directly reduce loneliness.
Hansen believes that the positive benefits of nature are mostly about well-being and improved mood. People view life more positively and therefore also see their relationships with those around them in a more positive light.
Loneliness around Lake Mjøsa
In a separate study, Løvoll and colleague Sindre Cottis Hoff looked at a growing public health concern: loneliness.
They asked 2,500 people living around Lake Mjøsa about loneliness and their relationship with nature.
Loneliness can mean different things. You can feel lonely, and you can lack people in your life. You may also experience loneliness often or rarely.
The participants around Lake Mjøsa also answered questions about how they used nature, for example whether they swam or fished in the lake, walked or ran around it, or simply sat by the water's edge. Did they paddle? Did they have a boat?
The responses showed that nature helps reduce loneliness.
Don't notice where they are when listening to music
"Those who have developed a relationship with nature, what we professionally call nature connectedness, are less lonely than others," says Løvoll.
Simply enjoying life along the water's edge or walking on the ice in winter had the strongest effect against loneliness.
"Perhaps people pay better attention when they sit still, are more curious, and more present," says Løvoll.
Exercising in nature was not particularly helpful.
You don't have to be very active in nature to feel less lonely, according to the new study. Simply walking on the ice is enough.(Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB)
"Perhaps because many people run with music in their ears and fail to notice where they are," says Løvoll.
She emphasises the importance of how we engage with nature.
"Exercise and running are good, but if that's all we do, we miss out on so much. We need to take in the experience of being outdoors, take a break from everyday life, and connect with our emotions. I think that's very important for us as human beings," says Løvoll.
Alone in nature
It does not matter much whether we are accompanied by others when spending time outdoors.
"We often think that loneliness is about being alone. But there's a big difference between being alone and being lonely," says Løvoll.
She believes we need to practice being alone in forests and fields.
"Being alone in nature gives something back that makes us feel less lonely," she says.
Mental health problems can both lead to loneliness and result from it. Social anxiety, depression, low trust, or low self-esteem can make it harder to form close connections with others, according to Thomas Hansen.
"Lonely people are vulnerable, on guard, and expect rejection. Experiences in nature and physical activity can help overcome these mental barriers and make them feel more included and less lonely," he says.
Grau-Ruiz et al. 'Pathways to wellbeing: Residential nature, physical activity, and place-belongingness', International Journal of Wellbeing, vol. 16, 2026. DOI: 10.5502/ijw.v16i1.4841 (Abstract)
