Daylight and time outdoors

Aim for about two hours a week in green spaces and some daylight every morning. The evidence is mostly surveys, but it's consistent and the cost is low.

• Evidence: Some
• Takes: about 2 hours a week

Why it matters

Time in nature. In a survey of almost 20,000 adults in England, people who had spent at least 120 minutes in nature in the past week were more likely to report good health and high wellbeing than people who’d had none. The benefit leveled off at around 200 to 300 minutes. It didn’t matter whether the time came in one long visit or several short ones [1]. Parks, woods, beaches and rivers all count.

Daylight. In the UK Biobank study of around 500,000 adults, each extra hour spent outdoors in daylight went with less frequent low mood, greater happiness, less tiredness, fewer sleep problems and finding it easier to get up [2]. People who spent more time in daylight also tended to be earlier risers. Light is the main signal that sets your body clock, which is why morning light matters for sleep. sleepgood.now explains how to use morning light to sleep better.

A walk in green space. In a small trial, 38 adults were randomly assigned to a 90-minute walk either through grassland near Stanford University or along a busy road. Only the nature walkers reported less rumination afterwards, meaning less going over the same negative thoughts [3].

How to do it

1. Get outside within an hour or so of waking. A short walk, coffee on the step, or walking part of the way to work. Go even when it’s cloudy.
2. Aim for about two hours a week in green space [1]. Two hour-long walks, or four half-hour ones, both work.
3. Combine it with other things. Walk with a friend, take a phone call in the park, eat lunch outside. That covers movement and time with people too.
4. Use what’s near you. A local park or tree-lined street is a fine start. You don’t need countryside.
5. Keep evenings dimmer. Bright light late at night can make it harder to fall asleep. Save the bright light for the day.

Common mistakes

• Assuming sitting by a window is the same. Indoor light is usually far dimmer than outdoor light, even near a window.
• Waiting for good weather. Most of the year, you’ll have to go out in gray weather. Dress for it.
• Spending the walk on your phone. You’ll still get the light and movement, but you may miss the break from your usual thoughts.
• Expecting big changes. This is one foundation among several. It adds up over weeks, alongside sleep and movement.

Evidence

Rated Some. The nature survey [1] and the daylight study [2] are large, and the daylight study also found smaller links over time. But both rely on people’s own reports, and people who feel well may simply go out more. The walking trial [3] shows cause and effect, but it was small, short and done with healthy young adults in California.

Topics: Nature, Daylight, Outdoors, Walking, Sleep, Mood, Foundations

Sources checked 4 October 2026. Spot a mistake? Tell us.