#Environmentalpsychology

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.

A new study shows that true happiness stems from emotional engagement with nature, not merely time spent outside. Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in May 2025, the findings challenge the idea that more outdoor time automatically boosts well-being. The research emphasizes how much joy people feel during nature experiences, rather than how often they venture outdoors.

In Thailand, a nation famed for its lush parks, tropical coasts, and deep respect for the natural world, the common belief has been that frequent nature visits raise happiness. The Taiwan-based Academia Sinica study, however, suggests that well-being relies more on emotional connection to nature than on the frequency of outdoor activity.

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that genuine enjoyment of nature—rather than merely spending time outdoors—plays a crucial role in boosting individuals’ happiness and life satisfaction. Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in May 2025, the research offers a nuanced understanding that challenges common perceptions, highlighting the importance of emotional engagement with the natural world over sheer frequency of outdoor activity (PsyPost.org).

For many in Thailand, a country renowned for its lush national parks, stunning coastlines, and traditional reverence for natural beauty, the assumption has long been that more frequent visits to nature equate to greater well-being. Yet, this study out of Academia Sinica in Taiwan finds that the benefits of green spaces hinge less on how often people step outdoors and more on how much joy and pleasure they actually derive from these experiences.