How Spending Time In Nature Helps Our Health

1A

NPR

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4.4 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 30 September 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

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Summary

Many of us know that being outside feels good.

Maybe it’s for a short walk to the store. Maybe for a hike at a nearby mountain. Or maybe spending time at the beach with loved ones for a holiday.

But did you know that a short walk in nature can improve your attention span by 20 percent? And that even fake plants have been shown to deliver health benefits?

There are real benefits to surrounding yourself with the natural world.

We sit down with the pioneer of environmental neuroscience, Marc Berman . He’s out with a new book all about the science behind the benefits spending time outside called “Nature and the Mind.”

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for NPR and the following message comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
0:05.4	RWJF is a national philanthropy working toward a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right.
0:12.1	Learn more at RWJF.org.
0:28.5	If you're feeling stress, let's pause and take a listen to this soundscape and take some deep breaths. How do you feel? Maybe a little more revived, more focused?
0:45.1	Our next guest has made a career out of understanding exactly how nature affects our well-being.
0:50.6	He found that just listening to nature sounds can lead to cognitive benefits. Mark
0:55.7	Berman is the pioneer of environmental neuroscience, and he's out with the new book, Nature and the Mind,
1:01.4	the science of how nature improves cognitive, physical, and social well-being. Berman wanted to know
1:06.8	exactly how our physical environment affects us, and why. Through his research, he found
1:11.6	how nature improves our focus, reduces depression, and even improves our physical health. But you
1:17.3	don't have to move to a scenic home in the country for all these advantages. Mark Berman
1:21.7	joins us after the break to talk about his findings. I'm Jen White. You're listening to the
1:26.2	1A podcast. Back with our guest in just a moment.
1:29.2	Stay with us. Support for NPR and the following message comes from the Robert
1:37.8	Wood Johnson Foundation. RWJF is a national philanthropy working toward a future where health is no
1:44.1	longer a privilege but a right. Learn more at RWJF is a national philanthropy, working toward a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right.
1:46.3	Learn more at our WJF.org.
1:50.5	Mark, it's so great to have you on the program today.
1:52.7	Thank you for having me on the show.
1:54.4	Let's start with these voicemails we got from some of you.
1:56.7	I cannot tell you enough how much incorporating a daily walk in the woods has changed my outlook.
2:05.4	I battle with chronic health issues, and I have a 30% increase of lung capacity now,
	...

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