Whether we’re in our homes, in our cars, or in our offices, we spend most of our days removed from nature—and it’s not good for us.
I just returned from a week in the hills and woods of East Tennessee. One of my favorite moments was fly fishing Hesse Creek. It’s world famous for trout, and I had seven on my line and landed two of the most beautiful rainbows ever. It was simultaneously restful and exhilarating.

We all know about the environmental benefits trees and other plants provide. But how often do we take advantage of the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits available from nature?
According to one article I recently read, “people today spend up to 25 percent less time enjoying nature than people did just 20 years ago.” Why does that matter? Because every day sheds new light on the benefits of being close to nature, and what we’re missing by staying indoors.

“People worry that computers will get too smart and take over the world, but the real problem is that they’re too stupid and they’ve already taken over the world.”

Taking a break from the busyness of life to engage with nature, even for a few minutes, can bring big positive effects for our mental stamina and cognitive performance.
In one study, people performing memory and attention tests upped their scores by 20 percent after walking through an arboretum. Walking down a busy street, by comparison, offered no such benefit.
The time doesn’t have to be long. Short “micro-breaks” with nature, even just looking at pictures, has discernible benefits for our minds.

But long, immersive stretches in nature offer big benefits for our creativity and problem-solving skills. After spending four days in the wild, disconnected from any sort of digital technology, students performed 50 percent better on a problem-solving test. “Our results demonstrate that there is a cognitive advantage to be realized if we spend time immersed in a natural setting,” said researchers.