A new international study shows that spending time in natural spaces—whether green parks or blue rivers and lakes—can boost happiness not just momentarily but for the entire day. The research, drawing on a large sample of adults and focusing on “yesterday’s” mood, found that people who visited green or blue spaces tended to report higher happiness levels on the whole day compared with those who did not. Importantly, this positive spill-over appeared to hold for people with common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, suggesting nature visits could be an accessible way to support daily well-being beyond conventional treatment. Yet the study also revealed nuance: while green spaces were consistently associated with happier days, blue spaces did not uniformly lower anxiety for everyone and, in some cases, were linked to higher anxiety among those with mental health disorders. Researchers stress that these patterns are associations rather than proof of causation, and they call for further research to unpack the mechanisms and duration of these effects.
In this large Austrian study, led by researchers from the University of Vienna, 2,140 adults were surveyed in October 2020. Participants reported how happy and anxious they felt the previous day and whether they had visited any of 29 different types of green or blue spaces during leisure time that day. Green spaces included parks, woodlands, and meadows, while blue spaces encompassed rivers, lakes, and wetlands. The researchers paid particular attention to people who reported taking doctor-prescribed medication for depression or anxiety to see if mental health status moderated the relationship between nature visits and daily mood. After adjusting for a wide range of factors—age, sex, employment, income satisfaction, marital status, disability, and whether the day was a weekday or weekend—the authors found a robust association: visitors to green or blue spaces tended to be happier for the entire day. The take-home message, according to the researchers, is that spending time in nature can produce a lasting mood lift that extends beyond the immediate moment of the visit, even when other life circumstances are accounted for.
There is a clear, important caveat, though. The study’s design relied on self-reported mood from a single previous day, which limits the ability to infer cause and effect. It is possible that people who were already predisposed to feel happier were more likely to seek out nature, or that other unmeasured factors contributed to both the decision to visit nature and the mood reported the next day. The researchers acknowledge this limitation and advocate for future studies that track mood over multiple days and incorporate objective measures, such as GPS data or physiological indicators, to corroborate self-reports. They also point to an intriguing nuance: while happiness rose with nature visits across the board, anxiety showed a more complex pattern. Among participants with mental health conditions, those who visited blue spaces tended to report higher anxiety than those who did not visit nature or who visited green spaces instead. The authors speculated that people experiencing anxiety may be drawn to blue spaces as a form of emotional self-regulation, seeking relief or a sense of control, even if the broader day remains tinged by anxious feelings. It is a reminder that nature-based experiences are not a one-size-fits-all prescription for mental health and that personal context matters.
The Austrian findings align with a growing body of research on nature and well-being, including work from psychology and environmental psychology journals that emphasizes both the emotional benefits of nature exposure and the everyday relevance of these experiences. But the new study adds a distinctive emphasis on the “spill-over” aspect—the idea that a nature visit can influence mood long after stepping away from the setting. That concept is especially relevant for public health strategies that aim to provide low-cost, widely accessible ways to support daily well-being in populations facing stress, burnout, and mild-to-moderate mental health challenges. The research team underscores that nature-based experiences should complement, not replace, clinical care where needed. They also note that enjoyment of nature—how one perceives and internalizes the experience—may be an important driver of the mood benefits, potentially even more influential than the sheer frequency of outdoor activity.
The implications of these findings extend beyond academia and into everyday life in Thailand’s bustling cities and rural towns. Urban centers like Bangkok face ongoing pressures from crowded housing, traffic, and environmental stress, with access to mental health services still uneven across regions and populations. Yet the Thai landscape also offers abundant opportunities for nature immersion within reach of many communities: city parks along the Chao Phraya river, community forests around peri-urban areas, and riverine or canal-side spaces that families can reach by public transit or walking. The idea that simply spending time in nature could lift mood across a day resonates with Thai cultural values that prioritize family cohesion, social harmony, and a mindful approach to daily living. It dovetails with traditional Thai reverence for water and green spaces as elements of balance and well-being, as well as Buddhist teachings that emphasize mindfulness, compassion, and tending to the body and mind.
To translate these insights into Thai policy and everyday practice, several practical steps emerge. First, cities should prioritize safe, clean, and accessible green and blue spaces that people can reach without long commutes. In Bangkok and other urban centers, this means expanding and maintaining public parks, improving riverfront promenades, and ensuring adequate lighting, seating, restrooms, and shade so people feel comfortable visiting even in the heat of tropical days. Second, schools, workplaces, and community organizations can incorporate short nature-based breaks into daily routines—time spent outdoors, mindful strolling, or simple outdoor activities that fit into busy schedules. Third, healthcare providers could consider “nature prescriptions” as a complement to conventional treatments, encouraging patients to incorporate regular, quality time in nature as part of a holistic approach to well-being. This is not a replacement for therapy or medication when those are needed, but rather an accessible, low-cost tool that can empower individuals and families to take small, meaningful steps toward better mood and resilience.
Thai researchers and policymakers can also look to the broader cross-cultural relevance of the findings. While this study is based in Austria, the underlying mechanisms—restoration of attention, mood enhancement, and the potential for nature to support emotional regulation—have been explored in diverse settings. For Thailand, that could mean exploring how local landscapes—urban parks, temple gardens, forested corridors, and riverine ecosystems—impact daily happiness and stress, particularly for people in rapidly changing urban environments. It also invites a closer look at how cultural practices around nature and the outdoors intersect with mental health outcomes. In Thai communities, nature is often intertwined with daily life, family routines, and social rituals, which could reinforce or moderate the mood benefits identified in the study. Understanding these dynamics will require interdisciplinary collaboration among mental health professionals, urban planners, environmental scientists, and educators.
The research also invites reflection on how nature-based experiences can be tailored to address diverse needs within Thai society. For families with limited mobility or transportation options, local green spaces within neighborhoods can become crucial hubs for social connection and psychological relief. For working adults balancing demanding jobs, brief outdoor breaks near work sites or transit routes could provide a practical, scalable means to improve mood and reduce burnout. For children and adolescents, outdoor education and nature-based learning could foster resilience, curiosity, and a positive outlook—outcomes that may influence long-term health and educational success. The cultural emphasis on family and community in Thailand may heighten the social benefits of shared outdoor experiences, turning nature visits into collective rituals that reinforce well-being and social cohesion.
In terms of future research, the study’s authors advocate longitudinal and multi-country investigations to better understand causality and the duration of these effects. They also highlight the potential for combining self-reported mood data with objective measures to triangulate findings. For Thailand, such research could be adapted to examine how different urban typologies—from compact city cores to peri-urban areas with access to forest or water—shape happiness and anxiety over time. It could also explore how culturally nuanced outdoor activities—like family picnics, temple grounds strolls, or riverine walks—compare in their mood-boosting potential. Policymakers and researchers may consider pilot programs that integrate exposure to nature with mental health services, educational curricula, and public health campaigns, using outcomes beyond mood alone, such as perceived life satisfaction, social connectedness, and stress resilience.
Ultimately, what this latest research reinforces is a simple, powerful message: nature matters for everyday happiness. It is a resource that belongs to all, not just those who can afford private retreats or expensive therapies. In Thailand’s fast-paced urban life, carving out time—whether a park visit after work, a weekend stroll along a riverfront, or a family outing to a nearby forested trail—could offer a practical, culturally resonant way to nurture well-being. The study’s nuanced findings also remind us that nature is not a panacea; the emotional landscapes we navigate each day are shaped by a tapestry of factors, including mental health status, personal history, and the specific kind of nature we choose to engage with. As Thai health and education leaders consider expanding nature-based initiatives, they should prioritize accessible, inclusive programs that invite people from all communities to experience the mood-supporting benefits of the great outdoors.
In the end, the ripple effect of nature visits may be as simple as stepping outside and taking a breath—an act familiar to many Thai families during a temple visit, a family walk after a long day, or a quiet moment by a canal. If daily happiness can indeed be lifted by these small, shared experiences, then nature could become a mainstream ally in Thailand’s public health toolkit, supporting mental well-being across generations and strengthening the social fabric that sustains Thai communities.