HOW TIME OUTDOORS
CAN BENEFIT
MENTAL HEALTH Revive • Restore • Renew
Nature beckons
billions
of people
to get outside every
day. Natural
settings are not
called “the great
outdoors” for nothing,
and nature enthusiasts
may insist
there’s nothing better than a day in the elements.
Such a sentiment may be more accurate than the most
ardent outdoors man realizes. In fact, the American Psychological
Association notes that extensive research supports
the notion that nature provides myriad physical and
psychological benefi ts.
• Nature can help with attention. A 2019 study published
in the journal Current Directions in Psychological
Science found that exposure to natural environments improves
working memory, cognitive fl exibility and attentional
control. On the fl ip side, the study found that exposure
to urban environments can be linked to attention
defi cits. Such fi ndings echo conclusions from an experimental
study conducted in 2015 by researchers in Australia.
That study engaged students in a dull task to compromise
their attention. Midway through the task, which
involved pressing a computer key when certain numbers
fl ashed on a screen, some students were asked to look out
at a fl owering green while others were directed to gaze
at a concrete rooftop. Students who looked at the green
made notably fewer mistakes with the computer screen
task than those who looked at the concrete rooftop.
• Nature can increase happiness. Some fi ndings suggest
time spent in nature also can lead to increases in
happiness. A 2019 study published in the journal Science
Advances found that contact with nature is associated
with increases in happiness and subjective well-being.
The researchers also found that contact with nature is associated
with an increased sense of meaning and purpose
in life.
• Time outdoors may lower children’s risk for mental
health disorders later in life. Researchers in Denmark
used satellite data to assess more than 900,000 individuals
born between 1985 and 2003. The researchers discovered
that children who lived in neighborhoods with more
green space had a lower risk of various psychiatric disorders
later in life. Risk for depression, mood disorders,
schizophrenia, eating disorders, and substance use disorder
were found to be lower among children who grew up
with greater access to green space than children who had
the lowest levels of green space exposure.
REUPHOLSTER!
They don’t make furniture like they used to,
so don’t throw it out! Let us make it better than new !
REUPHOLSTERY • ANTIQUE RESTORATION • CUSTOM MADE FURNITURE
WINDOW TREATMENTS • SLIPCOVERS • PERFORMANCE FABRICS
FREE SHOP AT HOME SERVICE • 631-825-7522
CLS Custom
Upholsterers & Refinishing
- THREE GENERATIONS OF EXPERTISE -
THE CATALANO FAMILY ~ Handcrafting Furniture Since 1945
Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm, Sat 9am-3pm
631-825-7522 • visit us at CLSCUSTOM.com
FACTORY AND SHOWROOM: 150 Keyland Court, Bohemia NY
When you
call us,
you speak
to an owner!
10016907CR
All Island Media - July 3, 2025 Find Us Online at PennysaverPlus.com ! 312 Hicksville - 9