Our environment shapes our psychological well-being. This fact is often overshadowed by a focus on diagnosis, therapy, and medication. But maybe some of the secrets of good mental health are simpler than we thought.

In 2022, a review of research looked at whether the setting in which we exercise matters for how we feel. The findings suggest it does.

Natural settings help more

Across a range of experimental studies, people experienced better psychological outcomes when they engaged in physical activity in natural outdoor environments rather than urban ones. The benefits include lower anxiety and reduced anger, along with increases in energy, positive engagement, and overall affect.

When researchers pooled data from studies, the effects remained consistent: natural settings showed moderate to large improvements in anxiety, fatigue, positive affect, and vigor. There was also a smaller but still positive effect on symptoms of depression.

Other things matter, too

While no research is definitive, the general pattern—that nature offers extra psychological benefit during physical activity—is generally consistent across studies.

The review also hints at other influences, including whether the exercise is done alone or with other people. This may affect the size of the benefit.

This aligns with everyday experience: a walk in pleasant company sometimes leaves a deeper sense of calm than a solitary one.

Ultimately, both approaches are needed: time together and time alone.

Why the setting is important

It is easy to see how natural spaces support psychological well-being. They offer relief from noise, traffic, and visual clutter. They allow attention to soften rather than sharpen. They invite a slightly slower pace and a gentler way of moving.

Even a short walk under trees or beside water can feel different from walking the same distance along a busy road.

The blend of physical activity and natural surroundings invites a powerful lift in mood—something many people recognise intuitively.

Practical steps for everyday life

If physical activity outdoors has psychological benefits, and natural settings may enhance them, small adjustments can help in our day-to-day lives:

  • Try to choose green spaces when possible: A woodland path, cliff walk, riverbank, or any area with greenery may offer greater benefit than urban routes.
  • Aim for regular, moderate activity: There is no need to embark on heroic endeavours. A moderate amount of movement—especially walking—will likely produce benefit.
  • Take your time: Longer periods of movement help, but so do short outings. Take your own time.
  • Consider company: Walking with someone else can be helpful – for them as well as you.
  • Treat it as an adjunct, not a cure: Outdoor activity supports well-being but does not replace appropriate mental health care when needed.

Quiet absorption in nature

None of this advice is dramatic or complicated—and perhaps that is the point.

In the midst of complex lives and modern pressures, some sources of emotional steadiness remain simple. Moving through natural outdoor spaces can play a meaningful role in how we feel.

Scientific evidence is never perfect, but research to date confirms our instincts: a good walk in a green place can shift the mind in ways that matter.

And sometimes, those small shifts help more than we expect.