A greener walk gave mood a bigger lift.
After a tiring task, both walking routes improved positive mood. The nature route produced the larger increase.
The 30-second takeaway
Both groups reported better positive mood after walking, but the increase was larger on the nature route. Researchers also measured resting brain activity; that signal should not be mistaken for proven gains in productivity. This was a single walk after a demanding task, not evidence that a greener route treats a mental health condition.
One short experiment cannot establish lasting mood effects. A brain signal is not a direct measure of recovered attention at work.
What researchers found
Positive-mood questionnaire points
Nature / urban: calculated mean pre-to-post change on the 10–50 PANAS scale. Descriptive changes, not percentages or adjusted effects.
A fairer comparison of routes
The walks were matched for features including time, distance and pace. Mood and resting EEG activity were measured before and afterward.
What improved
Positive mood improved more after nature. The brain recordings address possible attentional processes, not measured everyday work performance.
The original publication
The influence of a walk in nature on human resting brain activity: a randomized controlled trial
Amy S. McDonnell and David L. Strayer
Scientific Reports · 2024
- PubMed ID
- 39516236
- Record checked
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