Does a walk outside really clear your head?
· Source: Bratman, Hamilton, Hahn, Daily & Gross, PNAS, 2015
Going over the same worry rarely settles it. In a 2015 study, a long walk through green space eased that loop a little, and a walk along a busy road didn’t.
Does a walk outside really clear your head?
A green walk eased the loop a little. Healthy city dwellers walked alone for 90 minutes, through grassland or along a busy road. After the green walk, they reported a bit less brooding, and a brain area linked to it was less active. The road walk changed neither. Take the thought somewhere green. When a worry keeps looping, walk in a park if you can and notice what catches your eye. Back home, say the thought once. Walk first. Then say it once. Halflight keeps it under today’s date.