Spending 20-minutes in nature could make you less stressed out

Most people welcome spending time in nature and green space. After all, taking a few moments in the outdoors offers a much-needed break from the chaos of everyday life. And it can also lend positive physiological benefits, including lower stress levels, fewer symptoms of depression, and even a lower mortality rate.

A new study, published Thursday in Frontiers in Psychology, attempted to answer that question by asking participants to spend time in a place that "brings a sense of contact with nature" for at least 10 minutes per outing, three times per week, over the course of eight weeks. The researchers found that participants who immersed themselves in a "nature experience" for at least 20 minutes per outing experienced a significant decrease in their levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

The study's authors wrote that they envision ultimately developing a "nature prescription" — or "nature pill" — that health care providers can offer to their patients as a low-cost, preventive mental health treatment. (The "pill" is the time spent outside.)