Nature sounds—chirping birds, flowing streams, falling rain—are often the sound of choice for white noise machines and meditation apps, and there’s a reason: They’re calming.

A new small study published in Molecular Psychiatry further highlights this point. Studies have found that a one-hour walk in nature can reduce stress compared to an hour-long walk in a busy urban environment.

The study followed 63 people who were randomly assigned to take a nature walk or an urban walk. Nature walks take place in the forests of Berlin and city walks take place on the busy streets of the city.

Participants were told not to check their phones or stop in stores while walking. They were given a bagged lunch and a cell phone with a 30-minute timer instructing them to turn around.

Before walking, participants filled out a questionnaire and then underwent an fMRI scan that measured two tasks.

The first task measured brain activity during the “Fear Faces Task,” in which participants were shown 15 female and 15 male faces with either neutral or fearful expressions. The second task measured was brain activity during the Montreal Imaging Stress Task, which is designed to create a level of stress for participants. During the task, participants were given a certain amount of time to solve challenging arithmetic problems.

After the walk, participants filled out another questionnaire and underwent another fMRI scan measuring the same tasks they had performed before the walk.

The results showed that nature significantly improved people’s stress levels.

Research has found that people who took part in a 60-minute nature walk reported lower stress levels after spending time outdoors.

The findings showed that after just one hour of walking in nature, activity in brain regions involved in stress processing was reduced.

In particular, the researchers found that activity in the brain’s amygdala, responsible for our stress and fear responses, was reduced in the nature walk group.

This decrease was not seen among people who completed the city walk. According to the study, urban environments can have a negative impact on a person’s mental health, leading to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. (Think of the stress of constantly honking your horn, running to catch the bus, or waiting in long lines to pick up some groceries.)

In fact, other research suggests that mental health in urban areas may suffer due to urban crowding and increased stressors throughout the environment.

It’s worth noting that the study had some limitations: all participants came from similar backgrounds, and the study couldn’t control who participants saw during their walks. So, for example, if someone is taking a walk in the forest and sees someone relaxing on their day off, this may further reduce the participant’s stress response.

This study also only looked at the benefits of a one-hour nature walk – it’s unclear whether the same positive results would be seen in a shorter period of time. However, there is evidence that levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop after a 15-minute natural walk, which would make this study looking at shorter distance walks interesting.

Plus, in addition to this study, there’s extensive research on the positive effects of being outdoors, so it’s not hard to conclude that spending even a few minutes outside is better than doing nothing at all.

Beyond decreased stress, nature has other benefits.

Walking in nature has additional mental health benefits.

Many of us don’t get enough of nature, and walking is a great way to focus on breathing the air, walking on Mother Earth, listening to the leaves rustling, the birds chirping, and essentially “foresting” Bathing”.

Forest bathing has many benefits: it can help increase mindfulness, allow for meditation, and improve breathing.

Research shows that spending time outdoors can also improve sleep, increase creativity and boost immune function.

Whether you live in a city or a rural area, try to prioritize nature walks.

The results are clear: spending time in nature is good for your mental health. But if you live in a city, don’t lose heart.It is worth noting that the nature walks for this study were conducted in an urban forest within the city of Berlin.

So even just taking a walk in your local park or nature reserve can help you gain a sense of calm. The key is to avoid green spaces and spend 60 minutes moving your body and being outdoors.