We’re big proponents of getting outdoors here at AoM.
Spending regular time in nature has many benefits. It reduces stress, fights depression, improves focus and can even speed recovery from injuries and illnesses.
Spending time outdoors is also good for a man’s soul. Wild nature can inspire awe and wonder, which keeps us humble and grounded.
So how much time in nature do you need to get these benefits?
In The crisis of comfortMichael Easter (see our podcast interview about the book) highlighted research by Drs. Rachel Hopman, professor of psychology at the University of Utah, provides a recipe for spending time in nature to improve our health and well-being.
Hopman based her recipe on the idea of a “nature pyramid,” first developed by Tanya Denckla Cobb at the University of Virginia. Hopman simplified the idea of nature’s pyramid into an easy-to-remember rule: 20-5-3.
The 20-5-3 rule for time in nature
Rule 20-5-3 translates into the following guidelines for spending enough time in nature:
- 20 minutes in a green area, three times a week
- 5 hours in a semi-wild environment, once a month
- 3 days completely off the grid, per year
Let’s further explore how each part of this formula is fulfilled and the benefits of doing so:
Your weekly dose: 20 minutes X 3
According to Hopman’s research, you can start reaping nature’s health-boosting benefits by spending 20 minutes in a green space at least three times a week. These short outdoor excursions can lower cortisol levels, boost cognition and improve mental health.
Here’s the good news about this element of the 20-5-3 Rule: your three-times-a-week trips to green spaces don’t have to be in a wilderness area to reap the benefits. You can spend your 20 minutes in any natural environment nearby – a pocket park, a community garden, or even a tree-lined street. So, even if you live in a city, it is very possible to get a dose of nature every other day.
That said, the more leafy and bucolic and the less cemented and civilized the setting of your outdoor breaks, the better they’ll make you feel.
No matter where you take your thrice-weekly nature dips, put your smartphone away when you do. Hopman found “that people who were using their cell phones on the ride saw nothing [the] benefits.”
Use your lunch break for a walk in a local park or take a walk around your neighborhood after dinner (the benefits of an after-dinner walk extend beyond exposure to nature!). Make it a daily part of your routine and start enjoying the benefits of vitamin N.
Monthly immersion: 5 hours in semi-wild nature
Think of your three weekly doses of 20 minutes of greenery as the bottom of the nature pyramid. To start maximizing the benefits of nature, Hopman’s research suggests we should aim to find 5 hours a month in semi-wild nature – a place with minimal urban intrusions. As mentioned above, the wilder the space you spend your time in, the greater the effect it has on your health and soul, so the goal as you move up the nature pyramid is to gradually gain a deeper connection to the great outdoors . The higher the level of exposure to nature, the happier and less stressed people feel.
For a more immersive monthly dose of nature, take a hike in a state or national park, spend the day at the beach, or go fishing at a local lake.
Annual reset: 3 days off the grid
This is the top of the pyramid of nature. Once a year, go somewhere off the grid – with few signs of human civilization and almost no human contact – and spend three solid days there.
Research has shown that spending three days offline can relax the brain and boost creativity. Military vets with PTSD who spent four days in nature saw a 29 percent reduction in symptoms.
Spending so much time in nature is like resetting your brain to its factory settings.
An annual backpacking trip can give you your annual three-day nature reset.
You can also do scattered camping.
If you don’t want to tough it out, find a cabin in the woods on VRBO or Airbnb and spend the weekend there. Look for a listing that doesn’t have Wi-Fi or cell service. Force yourself to unplug.
The 20-5-3 Rule provides a great, motivational rubric for thinking about how much time you need to spend in the great outdoors. But don’t get too hung up on specific numbers. After all, the last thing you want to do is turn your time spent in nature into another chore to tick off your to-do list. Just remember two basic principles: 1) the more time you spend in nature, the better, and 2) the wilder the nature, the better. And then just get out there as much as you can!
