Why a city walk can boost your mental health – as long as it passes the ‘first kiss test’
Researchers are finding a lot of benefits to walking in urban areas – history and good architecture can provoke ‘a kind of soft fascination’
With every step on the trail, fallen leaves crinkle underfoot. The path follows a stream, rushing and burbling over smooth, grey stones, while a breeze rustles the branches overhead. Now compare that blissful mental image to what you might walk past in a city – traffic, crowds, concrete and glass. Which seems better for you?
You just have to find the right path and pay attention to your surroundings.
“Look at the green,” said Whitney Fleming, an environmental psychology researcher at Bangor University in Wales, in the United Kingdom. “Most cities have greenery. No matter where you are, you can find a nice tree.”
Fleming’s research found that people who were asked to pay attention to plant life while walking were significantly less anxious afterwards than those asked to focus on human-made elements. The former group also reported feeling more positive emotions.