Doing This for 15 Minutes a Week Will Make You Happier, New Study Shows

Doing This for 15 Minutes a Week Will Make You Happier, New Study Shows

Researchers at UC San Francisco gave subjects some very simple instructions that had surprising results.

An “awe walk” can have a profound effect on your emotions, mental health, and perhaps even your cognitive function, according to new research from the University of California, San Francisco. You can experience those benefits yourself with just one 15-minute walk per week in nature, so long as you do it with the right mindset.

Earlier this year (before the pandemic), researchers recruited 60 healthy adults over the age of 60 to measure the effect of awe walks — and awe in particular — on mental and emotional health. Older adults were chosen because of the well-documented effects negative emotions can have on their physical health.