Oliver Burkeman: Even the tiniest glimpses of nature deliver a psychological boost

Oliver Burkeman writes a column at The Guardian and I read it regularly. This weeks is particularly appropriate.

"......a clutch of recent findings have begun to demonstrate how even the tiniest kinds of engagement with nature deliver a psychological boost. When you can't climb mountains, it turns out, merely blurring the boundary between indoors and out may suffice. Office workers who glimpse a tree or two are both happier and more productive; in one analysis, of a university building in Oregon, workers on the greenery-facing side took 19% fewer sick days. If you're treated in hospital for bipolar disorder, the evidence suggests, you'll be discharged several days sooner on average if your room is naturally lit. Pupils do worse in tests in windowless classrooms. Even looking at photographs of natural scenes lowers blood pressure."

But, don't let me paraphrase, read it for yourself.